What is the need for seasons? Why couldn't life evolve in such a way to be used to just one season?

Answer 1

Seasons keeps biological clocks in line. Also, if there was one season all around the world, where would we go vacation to if we want to experience a different climate? Lol.

If it is, let's say, always summer, think of the plants that rely on the other seasons that would not be able to grow under all-summer conditions. Many plants need a cool season to hibernate so to speak, in order to store up energy. When it gets warm, that is when several species shoots out of the ground. If it stayed warm all the time, those types of vegetation would eventually die out because there is not a cooling period for them to regain their energy lost from growing/producing fruit. Only tropical or desert plants would survive, depending upon the latitude and longitude, with the exemption of Antarctica. Summer in Antarctica is still a continental ice sheet with not much biodiversity.

Answer 2

You have not really given much thought to this, have you?

Firstly, as others point out, there are seasons, so life had to adjust.

Secondly, seasons get more marked the further away from the Equator you move, such that the poles get 6 months day and 6 months night – couldn’t get much more seasonal than that, could you?

Secondly, the tropics really have no marked seasons – just some parts have more rain in one or other of the seasons. Go to Singapore – it will be same every time you go. So, tropical animals do not have to adjust to seasons.

You need to work harder at school, methinks.

Answer 3

Evolutionary fundamentals do not require seasons. However, it is interesting that their is greater diversity of species in the tropics (where the seasonal changes are mild), compared to the diversity in the middle latitudes. In the high latitudes diversity is smallest, but there are more individuals for each species. It would seem, therefore, that evolution of new species is fastest in areas where seasonal changes are the smallest. Why would this be so?

It is so because their are more niches (pronounced neeshes, by the way) for plants and animals in the tropics, so speciation has greater opportunity. In other words, the adaptive ability of a particular species is greatest because there are more spots for the species to adapt to.

So, as species evolve, they migrate short distances and have more opportunities into which to adapt. But, fewer and fewer species can adapt as they migrate further and further from their source. Hence, there are only a few species able to adapt (this occurs over many hundreds of thousands, or even millions of years) themselves through natural selection, from tropical to arctic conditions.

Bear in mind that the species don't adapt conciously..the ones that have slight advantages such as size or thickness of insulation will tend to survive and pass on their genes. Fewer of the others will, and eventually the strongest will survive and flourish. These will pass on their genes, and if there is (for any number of reasons) no interbreeding with members of the group from which they originated, they may mutate and adapt to such an extent that interbreeding no longer is possible, and a new species is formed. (The lack of ability to interbreed successfully between similar organisms is just one of the criteria for deciding that two separate species is present).

Answer 4

the closer you get to the equator the less seasonal variations you get. Seasons are due to the angle of incidence of the sun. Our summer in the northern hemisphere is when the sun is farthers from the earth, but the angle that the sun's rays hit the earth is the most direct.

Seasons exist due to the position of the planet relative to the sun and the fact that it is tilted on its axis and has an eliptical orbit. People evolved in that environment, so only people capable of surviving in multiple seasons we able to populate most of the earth.

So I would say you kind of have the evolution backwards, at least from the perspective of human evolution. Now some people will say that our climate does change and we may see a new ice age or global warming etc. and that can influence evolution, but it takes a very long time for humans to significantly evolve. We can adapt though, and that is different from evolution. Our ability to adapt exists today, its just used as conditions change.

Answer 5

Life could have evolved to just one season. There are parts of the world that change little, if at all. But as an answerer stated, it isn't seasonal because of man. Our planet would have to be a lot smaller to not have seasons. Due to its size and how its axis is tilted, in combination with its rotation around the sun creates the seasons. Life just adapted to what already was.

Answer 6

Um, can we take a look at the world and the Solar system for a moment first? Thanks. Now, the world revolves around an "axis", or an imaginary line through the north and the south poles. Now, the world also at the same time is slowly moving around the sun, or the star Sol. For that matter, so are all the other planets in our system. The world is divided into two hemispheres. The Northern and the Southern(thank you Mr. Equator line). As the world turns, one side is closer to the sun, making it warmer and the other side colder. Also, this results in the length of light exposer time being lengthened or shortened respectively. Are you with me so far? Good. Now, in between these places of rotation time come the "seasons" as we humans call them. As a result, plant and animal life changes to be able to continue to life throughout the planets yearly climate change brought about by the planets rotation and position around the sun. Without the constant changing of seasons, the plant life would go into a continuous "growth" life and eventually over-extend itslef and die off very horribly. This in turn would lead to certain animals dying off and then human life dying off. Now, aren't you glad we have seasons?

Answer 7

A more significant factor for evolution is the ocean tide. The first life forms, which evolved in the sea, became stranded in tidal pools when the tide went out. Over the generations, they gradually became adapted to the land environment.

Answer 8

I'm not sure what you mean by your question, but life on earth did not create the seasons, the sun and its effect on the Earth created the seasons. Humans just named them.

Answer 9

Variety is the spice of life

Answer 10

b/c that would be insanely boring