Imagine a world where there is no progress. Everything in it remains the same, forever. Now, practically for such a world to exist is next to impossible as everything in this universe is in constant motion. Thus, all the beings of the ecosystem can adapt and mold their nature to survive the cruelty of Mother Earth. That is exactly why the ecosystem thrives and develops, otherwise termed ‘Evolution’. Without evolution, there will not be progress, and without progress, the ecosystem will gradually deplete into a dead and rotten land.
The objectives for the importance of evolution:
- Acknowledging the different conditions responsible for evolution
- Mechanism of evolution
- Learn the difference between a whole-scale evolution among a group of organisms to the evolution of a single species
- In-depth research and analysis on evolution
- Charles Darwin’s perspective or theory of evolution
- Different types of evolutions and their impact
- Breaking the common myths of evolution
- Evolution also consists of theoretical evidence that all life began from the same origin.
Evolution, in general, is a prominent factor in various fields of study like science, technology, and psychology. Due to its significance in so many areas, several scientists have devoted their lives to its study and research, including great scientists like Charles Darwin.
Before jumping straight into the ‘why is evolution important?’, let’s properly understand ‘what is evolution?’
What is evolution?
According to NEET Biology, evolution is defined as the change in the characteristics of a species over several generations and relies on natural selection. The theory of evolution is based on the idea that all species are related to each other and gradually change over time. Evolution depends on a genetic variation wherein a population affects the physical properties (phenotype) of a living organism.
Some of these properties may give an organism an advantage over other individuals, passing on to its offspring. Thus, such small minute changes at a large scale result in evolution.
Biological evolution is one of the most important sectors of modern science. Evolution is supported by abundant evidence from many different fields of scientific research. It emphasizes the modern biological sciences, including the biomedical sciences, and has been practiced in many other scientific and engineering fields.
Biological evolution and its effect on modern science
As organisms and societies, the organisms are now subconsciously making decisions that will have significant consequences for future generations.
Then, the question arises that how should we balance the need to preserve the Earth’s plants, animals, and the natural environment against other pressing concerns of the environment? Should we consider altering our use of fossil fuels and other natural resources to improve the well-being of our future generations? Or to what extent should we use our new understanding of Biology and bio-energy to enhance the characteristics of living organisms?
Yet again, none of these issues can be solved wisely without considering biological evolution’s effect. Science and technology have such an effect on modern society that people increasingly need education in the core concepts, applications, and implications of science.
This is the strong relationship that evolution and society have today.
Understanding evolution
Understanding evolution aids us in resolving biological issues that affect our daily lives. In the world of medicine, there are numerous examples of this. Researchers must study the evolutionary processes of disease-causing organisms to keep one step ahead of harmful diseases.
Breaking the myth of evolution
Unfortunately, still, many people consider evolution to define and argue change as a ‘Hypothesis’ rather than a ‘Theory.’ The scientific term for ‘Theory’ is quite different from casual day-to-day use.
A theory mentioned in science is an explanation of a phenomenon that our ancestors often called a mystery or supernatural occurrence. A theory is formed by stating several hypotheses, clauses, proofs, and universal facts. Therefore, stating evolution as a hypothesis is like stating mathematics has very less significance on science and technology. In other words, like the subject of mathematics, evolution is a huge part of different fields and natural progressive processes.
We cannot exactly pinpoint the effect of evolution in various sectors, but its existence makes an enormous impact on the result.
To support the statements mentioned above with a piece of scientific evidence, let’s acknowledge the man that famously introduced the influence that evolution has in our daily life. Yes, it’s none other than Charles Darwin.
Darwin used the term “evolution by natural selection” to describe the process and support his theory. Thereby, Charles Darwin outlined four requirements for evolution by natural selection in ‘On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection’ (1859):
- For the encoding gene to have more than one variant or allele, the population’s trait under selection must be variable.
- The trait under consideration must be heritable, with the battle for survival encoded by a gene or genes, and many more offspring must be born than can survive in the environment.
- Individuals with various alleles have variable survival and reproduction rates, determined by how well the organism fits into its surroundings.
Darwin and Alfred Wallace were the first to propose that natural selection may explain the origins of all the world’s species and how they appear to be so well-adapted in form and function to their environs.
Natural selection in accordance to Charles Darwin’s Theory Of Evolution
We all are aware by now that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution occurs through natural selection. Now, let us give an insight into the whole mechanism of natural selection:
- Physical traits differ amongst individuals within a species. This is possible due to the variety of genetic differences present within the species.
- People who have features best adapted to their environment are more likely to live, locate food, avoid predators, and resist disease. These people are more likely to reproduce and pass on their genes to their offspring.
- Individuals that are inadequately adapted to their surroundings have a lower chance of surviving and reproducing. As a result, their genes are less likely to transmit to future generations.
As a result, only those individuals that are best suited to their environment survive, and the species evolves.
On the other hand, evolution is also defined as a change in a population’s heritable features over generations; evolution can occur by processes other than natural selection. Random processes can also cause evolution, particularly in small populations where the frequency of some heritable features may rise or decline by chance.
Mutation is one of these other methods that continue evolution’s impact on the ecosystem.
Also See: Fundamental Concepts of Evolution
Other supporting evidence for evolution
- All life on Earth has the same biochemistry, amino acids, biological building blocks, and genetic code.
- The fossil record and inferences of evolutionary links from gene sequence comparisons mostly coincide, implying a shared beginning for all current species on Earth.
- According to the geological and fossil record, the Earth is around 4.5 billion years old, and there have been sequential changes in the types and shapes of living species over geological time scales.
Different types of evolution
To appreciate the natural process that enables our surroundings to progress for our well-being positively, it is crucial to have in-depth research that leads to the emergence of different types of evolution:
- Convergent evolution
Convergent evolution is defined in evolutionary biology as the process through which distantly related animals evolve identical traits independently to adapt to similar needs. VLRs and TCRs/BCRs function as antigen receptors; they are not linked evolutionarily.
For example:- Sharks and dolphins look relatively similar despite being entirely unrelated. Additionally, flying insects, birds, and bats have all evolved to fly independently of each other.
- Coevolution
Coevolution is the reciprocal evolutionary change between pairs of species or groups of species as they interact. Each species involved in the interaction exerts selection pressure on the others through their actions.
For example:- Flowering plants and their pollinators, like bees or other insects.
- Adaptive radiation
Adaptive radiation is defined by a rapid increase in the number of species that share a common ancestor, as well as a high level of ecological and morphological diversity. The adaptation of organisms to new environmental situations is the driving force.
For example:- a fantastic instance for adaptive radiation is the development of mammals after the extinction of dinosaurs. Secondly, Finches on the Galapagos Islands have developed various beak shapes to take advantage of the various types of food available on each island.
Role of genes in evolution
To understand the basics of the mechanism of evolution, one has to go to depths of understanding the function of genes and DNA in the species.
Evolutionary mechanisms work at the genetic level. The composition and expression of our genes, the basic units of inheritance, are affected by changes in DNA sequences. Our DNA contains information about our evolutionary history. The human genome appears the way it does because of all the genetic alterations that affected our forefathers. When DNA and genes from various species look remarkably similar, it’s commonly assumed that they share common ancestors.
For instance, the DNA similarities between humans and fruit flies are the same up to 70%. This causes the fruit flies and humans to have almost the same types of disease.
Changes in DNA accumulate throughout time. Some of these modifications can be helpful and provide an organism with a selection advantage. Other modifications could be hazardous if they impact a critical, day-to-day function. As a result, certain genes do not undergo significant changes. It is said that they are conserved.