Evolution; we know the general principles of adaptation through time and how biology has changed over time. From fish to invertebrates, mammals through primates, these changes are fascinating and describe a delicate history of how the earth is in a constant state of flux, and how the things living on it responded. In essence, evolution describes a story of communication.
Through this process of communication, points are presented as events from the surrounding environment and it is at that time that we observe the response from the biology. From camouflage to feeding adaptations, examples are woven into the fossil record as well as life currently present on earth. I recently watched a Nat. Geo. segment showing how Japanese bees have adapted to the arrival of hornets. Hornets will easily consume the small bees and present the threat of predation. By swarming the hornet and vibrating, the bees are able to raise the ambient temperature to a high enough level to kill the hornet, while being able to survive themselves. I would say this is a great example of an evolutionary step. In the perspective of the colony, the hornet arrived and it was at this point, that the bees were presented with a problem that required a solution.
Their solution to collectively exploiting the shortfall of the hornet allowed the hives that were able to enact that response, the ability to continue. Now subsequent generations may slowly become more adapt to raising and lowering temperature more quickly through the continual use of this defense. However, those adjustments will be growth on what started as an evolutionary step.
If we take our own species and our habitable zone, which has grown to encompass the whole earth, it seems clear to see that we are currently faced with a similar moment in which we need to generate a response to an event, which stems from our changing environment. The event is also big enough to encompass the entire world where we need to collectively take an evolutionary step. If our environment is posing the environmental question of increased CO2 concentrations and resulting impacts, our evolutionary step needs to be made in response to that specific event.
At this point, one could choose from a variety of opportunities, from individuals around the world taking personal action, to world governmental legislation presented in the form of a global accord like Cop21 in Paris, or a governmental peace pact.
I find it strange that governments around the world are spending the majority of annual budgets towards military instead of a communal progression. It seems odd to me that in despite of our global knowledge, citizenry, communal atmosphere, and communal oceans, that we’re still headed towards the future as single countries. In evolutionary terms, I would argue that by uniting the world under a single global commonality, humanity would achieve an evolutionary step. Perhaps you’re rolling your eyes at this point, but the question has been posed to us and not responding to that question is not an option anyone wants to see. So what response would you choose if not to unit under a Cop21 agreement and/or the realization of world peace? I would hope that my generation in seeing this as evident fact, moves to lead in making these responses a reality through any and all means available to us.
