Evolution is pretty much accepted as the means by which species develop over time to function more effectively in their environment. The idea of evolution was being discussed before Charles Darwin, indeed his own grandfather Erasmus Darwin was familiar with the concept. Darwin formalised the idea in his book "On the origin of species" but even with this work Darwin was forced to publish to avoid being beaten to it by another thinker. Darwins theory was complete for it's time, but has since been superceeded as science has advanced, particularly in discoveries of the mechanism of evolution, and in genetics. We now know that in some key areas at least, Darwin was wrong, but the principles remain sound, species change over time in response to environmental factors, developing specific competitive advantages through a process of mutation.
This is accepted, but it does rather beg a question. As a species, humanity has now developed to a point whereby we are able to control, at least at a basic level, our environment. In the main we no longer have to hunt for food, we no longer have to devote so much time and effort to basic survival, in the main we no longer need to fight for everything that we get, and this causes a potential issue when thinking about evolution. Are we, as a species, moving to a point whereby the pressures that drive evolution are being negated? Perhaps more importantly, are we moving away from the biological drives which allow evolution to function naturally? This is more of a leap in terms of possibility, but bear with me....
....If we consider that evolution can be thought of as "survival of the fittest" a phrase which Darwin avoided but which has been associated, we see that one of the drivers of evolution and species development is the selection of a suitable mate. Here we are defining suitable as being fit for purpose, a mate who offers a competitive advantage to the potential offspring, a mate who is most likely to ensure successful transmission of genetic material onwards in time. Fitness in this context is not necessarily synonymous with strength, speed, power, looks, health or anything so concrete, but simply having the best ability to survive and thrive in a given environment. Since we, as a species, no longer have to be so concerned with survival per se, I would suggest that the possibility exists that we are no longer making decisions in terms of a reproductive mate in accord with evolutionary drivers, but are being influenced by other factors. Perhaps this is simply another form of evolution, but perhaps it is something that should be of concern. I guess only time will tell....
This is accepted, but it does rather beg a question. As a species, humanity has now developed to a point whereby we are able to control, at least at a basic level, our environment. In the main we no longer have to hunt for food, we no longer have to devote so much time and effort to basic survival, in the main we no longer need to fight for everything that we get, and this causes a potential issue when thinking about evolution. Are we, as a species, moving to a point whereby the pressures that drive evolution are being negated? Perhaps more importantly, are we moving away from the biological drives which allow evolution to function naturally? This is more of a leap in terms of possibility, but bear with me....
....If we consider that evolution can be thought of as "survival of the fittest" a phrase which Darwin avoided but which has been associated, we see that one of the drivers of evolution and species development is the selection of a suitable mate. Here we are defining suitable as being fit for purpose, a mate who offers a competitive advantage to the potential offspring, a mate who is most likely to ensure successful transmission of genetic material onwards in time. Fitness in this context is not necessarily synonymous with strength, speed, power, looks, health or anything so concrete, but simply having the best ability to survive and thrive in a given environment. Since we, as a species, no longer have to be so concerned with survival per se, I would suggest that the possibility exists that we are no longer making decisions in terms of a reproductive mate in accord with evolutionary drivers, but are being influenced by other factors. Perhaps this is simply another form of evolution, but perhaps it is something that should be of concern. I guess only time will tell....
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