Where are we going with this? The information on this page should increase understanding related to this standard: Identify chronological patterns of change and communicate that biological evolution is supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence that identify similarities inherited from a common ancestor (homologies).
Article includes ideas, images, and content from Troy Smigielski (2022-01)
Introducing Evolution
(This is a change…)
Evolution is a thing, not to be confused with the theory of evolution (which is also a thing). Evolution occurs within a species. And also within technology, for that matter.
If you stop for a moment, you can think of many things that have changed through generations, just within the last ten or so years.
Yeah… that's right!
Compared to the consoles of 2022, it was extremely elemental.
Within the context of biology, evolution is very notable, as well.
For instance, the average height of humans has changed over the years.
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| Source, 2022 |
Why Do Things Evolve?
Many changes are the result of changes in the environment, access to nutrition, and various other factors influencing development.
Within a species or with regard to a concept or design of some object, adaptations to changes in what is present or what is not present lead to evolution.
For instance, the automobile has evolved from the Benz's powered buggy, to the Stanley Steamer, to gas and diesel power to hybrids, and is moving toward more and more electric powered cars as of 2022.
The increase in production of gas and diesel led to the evolution to the cars of the late 20th Century. But, as the 21st Century progressed, the increase in problems related to carbon emissions and the decrease in access to fossil fuel sources pressured the "species" of automobile to "adapt" into electric utilization.
This, evolution can be thought of as sort of a push-me-pull-me system.
As access to a resource increases, an organism is pulled toward taking advantage of it. It will adapt to maximize into the available resource. The evolution of video games reflects this. As CPU and GPU
power increased, the game systems adapted to incorporate those faster, more reliable components. Gone are the days when an adapter connected your game to the antenna inputs of a TV and have been replaced by HDMI connections!
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| Source Google Images |
power increased, the game systems adapted to incorporate those faster, more reliable components. Gone are the days when an adapter connected your game to the antenna inputs of a TV and have been replaced by HDMI connections!
If access to a resource decreases, the organism must also adapt. It can be thought of as the lack of resource pushing the organism into a change.
When habitat disappears, wild animals must migrate, and at times, it requires them to overcome innate fears of humans. Many suburban areas in the united states now is witness to populations of deer that have ceased being afraid to be close to humans.
This generational adaptation opens up access to foraging. Deer too afraid would eventually be replaced by deer brave enough to venture into the neighborhood.
Arguably, this stretches the idea of evolution; however, it illustrates how the members of the population that adapt will thrive while those that don't adapt will suffer. In the long run, the survivors within the species (or within a given population of the species) will be the ones able to adapt to the changing access to resources.
In sum, evolution of things (species, technologies, worldviews, etc.) occurs when changes with regard to what is available or possible lead to adaptations which increase the ability of the thing to thrive.
Going back to video game systems, had one console refused to update graphics and move on to HDMI connections, it would not have been able to "thrive" in the market. Meanwhile, the games that took advantage of the new possibilities—the games that evolved into the new technologies would thrive.
It is worthwhile repeating something from above: evolution is not the same as the theory of evolution.
It is important to realize that the theory of evolution is a theory, not a fact. A theory is a well-supported explanation of something that has occurred in the natural world, and it attempts to explain how or why something happens. A theory is neither undoubtedly true nor false.
With regard to the theory of evolution, who is the major figure in the origins of the topic?
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It is noteworthy that the topic of evolution does not exist apart from controversy. Within this collection of topics, the intent is to present the prevailing, related body of knowledge and history, as that information is considered to be integral to the field of biology.
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