How do we evolve?

Question

Scientists say that we evolved from single cell organisms like algae, plants etc. and then to the therapsid (common ancestor) and then to animals. I just don't get it how one day we were monkeys and another we were humans and humans give birth to humans, and what will we be like in 1 million years to time? Will we have evolved into a different creature?

Answer 1

Once upon a time there was a single cell organism, the very first that ever existed. It was living in a very hostile environment and somehow it got split into two. Due to the relatively simple nature of the organism, both divided parts contained all they needed to survive and did just that.
Within a relatively short space of time the two cells both divided again and again and so did all the resultant 'offspring'. Soon there were literally millions and millions of these identical single cell organisms.
Due to various environmental stimuli (radiation, sun light, various chemicals etc) some of the cells started to change slightly, some for the better, some for worse. The ones who were impaired by the changes soon died but the ones made stronger by the changes survived and managed to pass on their superiority when they divided.
At some point in time two of these organisms got joined together and this gave them an advantage over the organisms that were still single.
Over millions and millions of years, further mutations and grouping together of organisms took place until fairly complex multicellular organisms were abundant. More and more mutations took place and the benign changes enhanced survival and the malign ones meant extinction. Some didn't mutate very much at all and still managed to survive as very simple organisms. Eventually, totally different strands (or species) began to evolve and develop their own very different ways of living. At all times mutations were still occuring and with the same results - mutations that enhanced survival were passed on. Needless to say, some species underwent very fast and very beneficial mutations and this meant that many of the interim stages did not in themselves last very long, hence the many so called 'missing links' in the evolutionery chain.
Eventually after billions of years you have what we have today. It's not a case of one individual suddenly changing from a monkey to a man, but very small changes occuring over a vast length of time. Nowadays mankind can manipulate genetic codes of living plants and animals and bring about 'artificial' evolution. Isn't it strange that many people who do not believe in evolution are up in arms about genetic engineering and genetically modified foods - they don't realise that they are, in essence, the same thing.
You can also see instant 'natural' evolution' happen when two people of different races reproduce together. The offspring will have certain characteristics from the race of each parent. If enough pairings of similar mixed race couples occurred and the offspring were able to breed with each other you would soon develop a new race of humans provided that they did not breed outside of their new found race.

Answer 2

Well, the key word for evolutionists is TIME. The theory holds that organisms changed slightly over time as mutations occurred. Some of the mutations were to have been advantageous, and those creatures survived while less fit creatures died off. They also suggest that monkeys and humans have a common ancestor -- humans did not evolve from monkeys.

Those who argue for Design say that time solves nothing because almost all mutations are damaging. Further, they point out that formation of complex organs such as an eye would at least require a superintendant to assemble the parts.

It's unlikely that even a million years will produce much difference since the genetic code structure is remarkably stable.

Answer 3

Oh dear this is a huge question.
I could answer it but not in this format.

This is a question which requires books not a quick-fire answer on here.

The Blind Watchmaker and Climbing Mount Improbable by Richard Dawkins
and a whole series of books by Stephen Jay Gould e.g. flamingo's smile, ten little piggies, ever since Darwin and many many more would be a good place to start.

To get you started though people are different, usually not by very much but we are all unique, right?

If a particular difference infers even a modest advantage in a particular environmental setting (for example dark skin with high melanin content in hot sunny climates or higher concentrations of energy producing mitochondria in cold climates) then individuals with that difference will prosper.

If a population group is sufficiently separated from the main body of the species e.g. by being trapped on an island or separated by a large mountain range or a desert or sea then the divergences can become so marked as to separate a single species into two.

This has not happened with humans because of our renowned wanderlust and our resourcefulness in adversity,
hence we are still one species worldwide.

In 1 million years, species divergence is a very real possibility.
Assuming we find a way to visit other planets (either by some sort of suspended animation so that colonisers survive the thousands of years of space flight OR if we have colonising spaceships with whole communities that never make planet fall but their descendants do) then the resulting population groups will be isolated for many generations.
In this case it is perfectly likely that a new species of human will arise on that planet.
However humans are likely to evolve slowly because of our very long lifespan.
Cockroaches are much more effective and will be among the few survivors of a global catastrophe.

Answer 4

Evolution takes time, and proceeds by many gradual steps. Consider that Yorkshire Terriers are descended from wolves, and that that change happened within the span of human civilization. Now think about far genetic drift could take you in a hundred million years.

Answer 5

You are looking at evolution in a linear and progressive fashion. Think of evolutionary change as what it is; the change in allele frequencies over time in a population giving rise to the differential survival of replicators. Evolution rises as a bush, because populations evolve, not individuals. Go here.

http://www.talkorigins.org

Answer 6

If you believe that you look just like you, and not like a mixture of traits from your ma & pa, then you already understand how evolution works, you've just decided to ignore it!

Natural variations always occur within a population; if they offer any kind of advantage, they usually persist, and eventually flourish within that "line" of a species, periodically resulting in "speciation"...

Answer 7

But if we have apes/monkeys in our evolutionary line from whatever we came from through to monkeys, through to humans, how come there's still monkeys? How come they didn't evolve to humans too?

Answer 8

I guess it has to to do with inter-breeding and mixing our genes with other living beings. There can't be any other reasons!

Tomatoes have genes of pigs so I hear! so in the next few years all tomatoes will contain these genes unless there is a rejection! This is called evolution. I am not sure if tomatoes will start walking but anything is possible!

Answer 9

God made us and by God, God will break us! He who liveth without sineth, shall repenteth forewitheth!

Some S hit like that anyway!

Answer 10

One good answer. Its not true crack head.