Evolution, Extinction, And Our Part In It All.

Did you know that 99.99% of all living things that are thought to have existed and evolved on earth since the planets formation are now extinct?

Species evolve and then die out, such is the way of life. Extinction is a natural part of our planets evolutionary history and when it occurs without our help, is thought of a necessary occurrence that gives rise to new and better evolved species to take the center stage and thrive here on our special little rock.

Extinction and evolution go hand in hand. The term evolution is often misunderstood by many people and leads to heated debates between the scientific and religious communities. However, the term evolution doesn't mean anything besides 'change over time', according to the Webster's Dictionary. Technically, anything can evolve. A beach will look different after each passing year; the waves cut away at stone and sand, aquatic plant life grows and dies in the shallows, and sometimes the population of fish that live in that particular section of water fluctuates- thus, the beach has evolved from what it was last year and the year before. Even we can evolve. Think back to who you were when you were 12 years old. What were your interests, who were your friends, what were your goals in life? Now think about who you are now. Bet you're different now, huh? Boom! Evolution, baby.

When the term evolution is used in terms of species, it still does mean 'change over time', however, the change over time species experience is different than the change we experience with our personalities or the beaches we frequent on simmering July weekends. Evolution in species comes down to biological variances found within groups of organisms. Consider the following:

Hummingbirds and eagles are both birds, yet both species are vastly different from each other. Hummingbirds are the smallest of the bird species, feeding off of flower nectar and flapping their wings at 80 beats per second. Eagles are large predatory raptors that feed on carrion and small mammals, have a wing span of 6 feet, and talons that can easily tear through flesh. While both are birds, they have very few things in common besides having beaks, wings, and laying eggs. The reason they are so different from each other is because over time they evolved different features to overcome different environmental pressures.

Lets look at Archaeopteryx, the first prehistoric bird. Modern day birds descended from Archaeopteryx by small changes over time- evolution. How this happens is a baby is born with some sort of random variability from its parents. While in utero, sometimes when our genetic code is being written it skips a beat or hiccups, causing a random mutation. Sometimes these mutations can be beneficial, neutral, or even harmful. If you have a bird with feathers that blend in with surrounding foliage to keep it safe, it could potentially have a baby that is born with stark white feathers, thanks to a genetic mutation. That baby will not blend in to the foliage and will be more susceptible to predators, likely dying before it has a change to breed and pass on its genetics. This is an example of a harmful mutation, but beneficial ones do occur. If an animal has a beneficial mutation that gives it an advantage in hiding from predators or finding food, that animal as an edge over the others in its area. That animal will be more likely to survive to adulthood and pass on its genetics, potentially passing on the beneficial mutation. Once the majority of a population has this beneficial mutation after thousands of generations, the population has evolved. So at some point in bird history, the Archaeopteryx population branched off from itself with new mutations, and after millions of years the mutations have compiled so much that now we have hummingbirds and eagles, all due to their ancestors genetic mutations. Thanks, Archeopteryx!

The reason evolution and extinction go hand in hand is because sometimes species cannot adapt to their surroundings fast enough, causing them to die out. Global and natural events occur that can really throw a wrench into species' natural course of evolution. Arctic ice caps are melting at an alarming rate which causes polar bears to drown while trying to get from point A to point B. If there is no ice to walk across, they are forced to swim to hunt for food. Because the ice is melting so fast, it has not given the species a sufficient amount of time to produce a random genetic mutation that would allow it to somehow be able to swim farther or faster. And thus, an extinction will likely occur within our lifetime. Remember, evolution happens slowly over hundreds or thousands of generations.

Extinction as a whole is not a problem. It is natural and necessary. The problem arises when it occurs before its time, usually due to human error. Since the 1500's, we have been the direct cause of approximately 902 species extinctions. That's insane.

Human-caused extinctions can happen for a variety of reasons, some directly and some indirectly. A direct cause of extinction would be the passenger pigeon. Once an abundant species in North America, it was hunted to extinction in the 1930's for its beautiful feathers, commonly adorned in women's hats. We wiped out an entire species in the name of fashion. An indirect cause of extinction will likely be the polar bears. No one is actively hunting them for capital, yet their numbers are still dwindling thanks to the melting of ice caps which is cause by the burning of fossil fuels heating up our atmosphere.

Now, that's not to say all extinctions happen because of us. There have been an estimated total of 5 mass extinctions that have occurred during earths history, all for different reasons, with the last one occurring approximately 65 million years ago. However, we are on the cusp of the 6th mass extinction and we are the catalysts. Many people point fingers, blaming large corporations and governments. While there is a degree of truth to that, I think we all need to take accountability for our actions. After all, who are the ones supporting these conglomerates? It's us.

Small changes we make in our every day lives can have massive outcomes on a global scale. Do your best to reuse what you can. Cut back on food waste and shop your meats and veggies from local farmers or even catch/grow your own if possible. Thrift your clothing, consider investing in glass bottles and re-fill stations for your household products such as shampoos or soaps. Instead of using single-use plastics, purchase reusable bags for your groceries and when you purchase fruits and vegetables. If you are someone with an ample amount of free time, consider donating your time and hands to a local animal rehabilitation center. Remember, Wal-Marts profit feeds the CEO's 9th yacht's fuel tank. The local butchers profit feeds his family.

These are all small changes that can help the planet, keep money in your pocket, and boost your local economy. You don't have to do a whole life overhaul tomorrow and go invest in solar panels. But the most important action of all? Write to your local government representatives. They are few and we are many. If we push for change they will be forced to listen to us. I don't know about you guys, but I would love if your grandchildren could see the polar bears one day.

Sources:

https://ourworldindata.org/extinctions