Why don't animals evolve?

[Rich]

OK, assuming you're not some religious idiot in which case you can stop reading now, most people agree with the fact that humans have evolved.

First we had random bacteria which turned into sea skanks, which then grew legs, came on land and eventually became monkeys which slowly became humans.


how come then other animals just got to a certain point then stopped evolving?

Why did cows, for example, hit a point in evolution on their way up and just stop, content in their own retardation?

Why did all other animals hit this point and then nothing more for millions of years?

Some would say its because they have evolved to a point where they have all they need to survive, well so did we as monkeys. Monkeys are perfectly able to live as they are and have no biological need for anything better, yet humans still evolved out of them for no apparent reason.

I think it would be cool if animals stopped being dumb and started evolving further.

[FiRe]

We're extraterrestrials

[no friends]

Maybe they all evolved into humans - cross breeding and all that , and we're the pinnacle of triangle.

[Rich]

Nah man, we came from monkeys. you can trace it back and junk.

Next theory! :D

[WhiteKnight]

Monkeys are perfectly able to live as they are and have no biological need for anything better, yet humans still evolved out of them for no apparent reason.

Mutations.

Evolution is all about mutations and genetic anomolies.

At some point there will have been a monkey mutation that made one (or more) "marginally" more intelligent and self aware than the rest. This is what is commonly know as the "missing link", or "adam".

From this point on, these superior apes would have bread and then over time had mutations themselves (having been genetically predisposed to mutation) which improved the mental faculties and made them more able to survive.

Basically the point is that there has been no significant mutations / anomolies in other species. This is unusual. But not impossible.

It may be that they are simply already at the peak of their evolutionary chain, and most mutations are a backward step.

I`m just rambling now tho... thats just my brain fart on the matter :)

[Rich]

Isn't a bit weird though that "humans-in-progress" kept having these "positive mutations" and got to this stage, where all the other animals just got to a default boring stage and stayed there?

[WhiteKnight]

Aliens.

[her0n]

How do we know that animals have stopped evolving? Evolution takes a long, long time :p

[Rich]

because you can look at the skeleton of a cat or whatever from the time humans started evolving from apes and it will be exactly the same as it is now.

[Elkeeed]

because you can look at the skeleton of a cat or whatever from the time humans started evolving from apes and it will be exactly the same as it is now.

This statement is completely incorrect. Cows and dogs and cats are all domestic animals, they didn't even exist in their current form until very recently in human history, and thats way since we evolved. You could say that that is cheating since it was led by selective breeding by us but essentially it is the same process.

Evolution is going on all the time, you just don't notice it because it is slow. Modern examples of evolution have occurred where we have tried to kill off species or introduced them to new locations. Modern examples include the Mosquito which is now immune to most things we've thrown at it and 'super' rats that are now immune to poisons.

In fact the only creature where evolution has stopped or at least slowed down dramatically is in humans because as a society we override it and treat abnormalties and protect the weak. (and kill people like Hitler who try to build a better race :) )

Isn't a bit weird though that "humans-in-progress" kept having these "positive mutations" and got to this stage, where all the other animals just got to a default boring stage and stayed there?

Do you understand evolution at all? 'humans-in-progess' had plenty of negative mutations as well, those just died off because they were not as strong. Also, developing in different environments lead to different outcomes, this is why we have different races today rather than a singular type of ultimate human.

[Big Giant Head]

and kill people like Hitler who try to build a better race

This is the best troll I've seen in a quite a while.

Also in all fairness, evolution takes millions and millions of years, just because we look static doesn't mean we're not changing ever so slightly, for example humans have got taller over the years (I'm aware that it's mainly down to better nutrition, but it has been a gradual process and is ongoing even now)

[Anim]

Evolution doesnt stop, you just may not be able to notice it comparing from skeletal remains.

[Baz]

and kill people like Hitler who try to build a better race :)

what?

[Aardvark]

Evolution isn't a linear progression. You can go millions of years with an unchanged species, then bam all of a sudden they mutate opposable thumbs which are SO much better they're highly selected for.

[Aardvark]

because you can look at the skeleton of a cat or whatever from the time humans started evolving from apes and it will be exactly the same as it is now.

You can look at the skeleton of an ape from the time humans started evolving from apes and it will be exactly the same as it is now.

What's your point?

[Strych]

This statement is completely incorrect. Cows and dogs and cats are all domestic animals, they didn't even exist in their current form until very recently in human history, and thats way since we evolved. You could say that that is cheating since it was led by selective breeding by us but essentially it is the same process.

Evolution is going on all the time, you just don't notice it because it is slow. Modern examples of evolution have occurred where we have tried to kill off species or introduced them to new locations. Modern examples include the Mosquito which is now immune to most things we've thrown at it and 'super' rats that are now immune to poisons.


I agree with Elkeeed. Please kill me now.

[[CoW]J-Raw]

When the environment changes species are forced to adapt or die.. which is why penguins recently learn't to fly to escape the melting ice caps...
9dfWzp7rYR4
;) moomoomonthsoldyaddayadda.

[Mu5icMan]

google: animal evolution

That explains it all with pictures

[Semajal]

I agree with Elkeeed. Please kill me now.

So do i. Alot of fail in this thread and none of it is Elkeeed.

[Rich]

Yeah OK, so some animals might of had some minor evolutons. "Pets" dont count as its selective breeding. but even the ones that have evolved never evolved anything good, nothing like going from a monkey to a human - a massive difference.

Even going from like wild cats to domestic cat breeds, they are still just cats they havn't developed super intelligence or the ability to shoot lasers from their eyes or anything, and for that i'm dissapointed.

[Aardvark]

I'm disappointed that you haven't evolved good posting.

[Rich]

I see what you did there. I also like the irony of calling somone a bad poster in a bad post.

Maybe I was wrong about the laser thing

http://x52.xanga.com/aa08354364108106328510/z75240871.jpg

[Elkeeed]

evolving total immunity to rat poison is a pretty good difference for a rat!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/content/articles/2008/03/26/south_rats_s13_w5_feature.shtml

[Afty]

how come then other animals just got to a certain point then stopped evolving?Did you receive a schooling?
Or do you just have no concept of the passing of time?

[Rich]

haha, the latter. I guess it's just a shame cuz it would be cool if animals wern't dumb and could do stuff. Like maybe if dolphins evolved legs and the desire to drive cars they could help solve the oil crisis.

[Mu5icMan]

crocodiles have evolved a lot since the pre-historic time.

[WhiteKnight]

crocodiles have evolved a lot since the pre-historic time.

They evolved into hand bags :)

[Elkeeed]

Surely if Dolphins were driving cars too then the problem would be bigger?

[Rich]

You would of thought chickens might evolve so their meat is no longer tasty as this would enhance the speices survival rate.

[Elkeeed]

That would be great if you could taste which ones were good before you killed them!

[WhiteKnight]

Chickens are selective breeding again.. so they wont "evolve" really.

Also in a natural environment, they might evolve scent glands or something to deter predators BEFORE they get killed. Rather than just tasting bad once dead.

[SquireMuldoon]

You would of thought chickens might evolve so their meat is no longer tasty as this would enhance the speices survival rate.

Depends on what you mean by survival. Because they are so tasty, their existance as a species is almost assured indefinitely, because we as humans will continue to breed them for food in mass quantities. That in itself is a form of survival. To an senient species, survival as a food source isn't exactly a palatable thought, but it *IS* survival.

[Rich]

True, good points lads. You just would think they'd get sick of it after a while and change :D

[kr-dm1]

Thing is, the dead ones can't tell the living ones how crappy it is being dead...

[ez64]

Surely if Dolphins were driving cars too then the problem would be bigger?

No they flew off and said "thanks for all the fish".

[TE-Hellfire]

Not enough monoliths.

m2XcPNSeUMQ

[Ruth]

Yeah OK, so some animals might of had some minor evolutons. "Pets" dont count as its selective breeding. but even the ones that have evolved never evolved anything good, nothing like going from a monkey to a human - a massive difference.

Even going from like wild cats to domestic cat breeds, they are still just cats they havn't developed super intelligence or the ability to shoot lasers from their eyes or anything, and for that i'm dissapointed.

I love the way you seem to have assumed the evolution of ape to human happend rather fast, over a few years.

It really really really took a very, very long time.

[[TRS]MONSTER]

This thread is chock bang full of WTF!

Grats Elkeeed, an astute post - you have evolved!

[blackbabyjesus]

evolution is driven by positive mutations which provide a survival advantage and can be passed on from one animal to it's young, those animals which are born with detremental mutations often have lower survival rates and so do not pass on their genes, hence the negative stuff gets filtered out. mutations which provide no discernible survival disadvantage/advantage also do not survive, as if there's no benefit to it, the animal is no more likely to pass on their genes than the next, making such traits very short lived; the mutation will be bred out within a few generations. this is why you don't see a lot of non-beneficial mutations, they simply don't last long enough to be observed on a species level.

natural selection, and therefore evolution is happening RIGHT NOW, it is however an incredibly slow process, taking at best thousands of generations to give a noticeable difference to a species, at worst millions. some animals have reached almost a plateau whereby they're so well evolved for their habitat that there's not a lot left that mutations can improve upon, the nile crocodile for instance has remained largely the same for millions of years, simply because it's almost perfect for it's environment.

[Jingles]

some animals have reached almost a plateau whereby they're so well evolved for their habitat

Key point. Environmental changes drive the necessity of evolution.

[Tim^]

This is the best troll I've seen in a quite a while.

Also in all fairness, evolution takes millions and millions of years, just because we look static doesn't mean we're not changing ever so slightly, for example humans have got taller over the years (I'm aware that it's mainly down to better nutrition, but it has been a gradual process and is ongoing even now)

What was he thinking? :p
You cant godwins your own point your trying to get across, Elkeed!

[Pru]

As far as im aware (various tv shows :p) the evolution of some animals such as crocodiles and ant eaters seems to have stopped (or just slowed down for now) because their bodies are currently at their best for the life style they lead, so why change it. as the earth evolves and changes the life on it will too. (dont flame me if im wrong, this answer took me all of 2 mins :p)