Darwin’s Theory of Evolution can
be defined as the broad concept that all life is correlated; and naturally after
a while has descended from a universal ancestor (‘simplistic ancestors’). The
random inherited mutations occur over time within the ‘simplistic ancestors’. As
the passing of time occurs, the genetic codes have detached the “non beneficial
mutations; preserved and passed on the beneficial to the next generations”. In
time the beneficial mutations gather and result in an entirely different
organism, supporting in the continued existence. This process is also known as
‘natural selection’. [2]
Darwin's Theory of Evolution:
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Discovery Institute Copywrite.
The theory of evolution is necessary to understanding how and why humans exist
as we do. The theory suggests the physical characteristics we possess did not come to be in a random manner. Evolution offers the explanation that modern human, and our ancestors, adapted physiologically to the external environment.
A central tenant to the theory of evolution is natural selection. Charles Darwin explained natural selection as the process by which certain traits become more or less widespread depending on differences in reproductive success of individuals within a population.
How does natural selection contribute to evolution? Natural selection is the mechanism by which evolution occurs in nature. We don’t see the affects of the process within a population over a brief period of time. Instead, the level of differentiation varies less and less over time because traits that are passed on are the traits that give individuals an edge in survival. Conversely, we might note that are not as beneficial to increasing likelihood of survival become less common, because the individuals that possess those traits are less likely to be successful in reproduction.
In a nutshell:
·The mechanism bringing about evolution is natural selection.
·Natural selection is the process that brings about changes in physical traits within a population.
·The external environment determines which traits support survival.
Now that we understand how evolution occurs over time within populations, let’s examine the implications of Darwin’s theory of evolution on bipedal primates as a precursor to understanding the modern human. Every species in existence today is a working, non-finalized product of evolution. Modern humans are a product of millions of years of natural selection.
For example:
·Bipedal primates’ arboreal environment demanded the use of arms and hands to collect food and wield weapons against predators.
·Bipedal primates adapted to an arboreal environment via natural selection.
·Bipedalism was beneficial to survival because freedom to use the hands for uses other than walking allowed these primates to defend themselves against predators.
·Because bipedalism gave a slight edge to survival in an arbolial environment, the probability of reproductive success for these primates
increased, and bipedalism became a more common trait within the populations over time.
Now, it would be a misnomer to think of our ancestors our ourselves as a finalized product, just as it would be a mistake to view evolution as something that begins and ends. Thus, when we consider the impact of evolution on primates, bipedal primates, modern humans, or any
population, we must keep that in mind. However, let’s get a handle on what anthropologists generally accept as the earliest traceable direct ancestor of the modern human.
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"Domestication: A process by which a population of animals becomes adapted to man and the captive environment"-Price (1984)[3]