What If Understanding Evolution Could Help Save Us?
I have been fascinated by biodiversity and nature since I can remember, so I took that passion and dedicated my life to the study of evolution. My quest started in Portugal and is currently unfolding in Switzerland, at the Zoological Institute of the University of Basel. Here, I’m doing a PhD on the genomics of natural selection on this cute little fish: the Three-spined stickleback, and it is my belief that the world could be a better place if everyone could see the beauty in evolution!
Sounds either militant or naive, but read me out. Let me share with you some facts and ideas that have the power to debunk misconceptions that harm us all, as a species, and as tenants of this planet.
Humans aren’t the pinnacle of evolution
Let’s look at a common misconception that is still propagated due to the misinterpretation of one specific scientific illustration — the one image that everyone associates with the term evolution:
“Humans evolved from monkeys and are no longer exposed to natural selection because we are so smart!”
When we talk about the evolution of modern Homo sapiens (not looking so sapiens lately), it’s important to remember that we are indeed apes. Our evolutionary history took place in the same set of tree branches of the Tree of Life that also includes creatures such as lemurs, spider monkeys, and apes. But all these species still exist to the present-day, which means that they are neither under-developed humans, nor did we evolve from them.
The image above omits the concept of common ancestry (brought to us by Charles Darwin, father of the theory of evolution and a big personal crush). This means that, even though today we belong to different branches of the Tree of Life, around 8 to 6 million years ago, an ape existed that was a common ancestor to humans and chimpanzees.
Evolution isn’t linear (ever)
Since then, our species and the chimps followed independent evolutionary roads: this is speciation! At some point, during different evolutionary times, we shared an ancestor with every living creature. So, the accurate thing to say when talking about human evolution would be: “Human and monkey once shared a common ancestor.”
Here’s a crucial take-home message: Evolution should never (ever!) be perceived (ever!) as a gradual linear march towards “humanization.”
All our unique characteristics, that differentiate us from other species, are a result of our ecological context, the characteristics of our genome, completely random natural events and the natural selection our ancestors were exposed to (including who we decide to reproduce with). Our evolutionary history is full of migration, hybridization, speciation and extinction episodes. It has never been a linear and progressive line with humans as the ultimate achievement.
We are not the center of the world
Why is this important? Because I believe that a better understanding of evolution would help us to lose the anthropocentric perception of ourselves. This, in turn, would allow us to appreciate our profound connection with the biodiversity around us and to realize how we depended on it to survive, since the beginning of our existence.
If we keep thinking of ourselves as the pinnacle of evolution, we remain blind to the fact that the species around us had to face the same struggle for survival and adaptation to be able to be our contemporary neighbors — actually room-mates, because we share the same atmospheric roof! This disconnection from the living world around us is dangerous and rapidly bringing us to face the major challenges we’ve ever met.
So, although it might be hard to believe — with all the things that make us feel like regressing right now — we are still evolving. Sure, we invented medicine, hygiene, life-supporting technologies, and all these other things that keep us from dying as often, but we are still subject to natural selection (and sexual selection, as well) just like any other of our room-mates.
Adaptation is the key
Homo sapiens could have never survived without adapting to environmental changes in climate, food, social context and general lifestyle. And we all know how drastic these changes have been. Just ask your grandmother if she had all the processed food we now have, or if giant icebergs used to wash up at Cape Code.
To deal with this, we have to evolve to adapt to such changes. For example, the variant of the gene that allows us to digest lactose (and thus enjoy the most amazing Swiss cheeses!) was absent in the early European farmers. We did not have this trait before, or during, the early Bronze age. The ancient populations with this gene variant have a Russian steppe ancestry, indicating that it might have spread in Europe with the arrival of the steppe pastoralists, around 4500 years ago. So next time you eat cheese without an annoying belly ache afterward, remember to thank evolution.
Past adaptations can shape our future
Now you might think: ok, 4500 years is a long time, are there any more recent examples? Yes, there are! and they connect with that very old event. For example, the Dutch population has become 20 cm taller in only 200 years. Apparently, taller Dutch guys have more children, and more of their children survive. But why? Part of the explanation is that being tall, in men, is associated with sexual attractiveness, health, and wealth. But there is also an environmental explanation. This hypothesis claims that the high consumption of cheese and milk (only possible with that lactase variant) could lead to this collective growth spurt (yes, the Dutch consume even more milk-based products than the Swiss).
Why is this important to know if you are not into cheese or milk? First, it shows us how changes in our lifestyle and environment can shape our evolution for future generations, even centuries, from now. A fact that is important to remember in general and when we are faced with consumer decisions every day. If we keep going as we are, it looks like we expect our grandchildren to adapt to metabolize the plastic that we are dumping all around us.
Evolution is nothing but the history of biodiversity, and we can learn from it the same way we can (or should) learn from history. It can teach us to understand better how connected we are with other species. It can help us realize that our impact on nature matters, not only for the environment, but to ourselves as a species. If we perceive ourselves as just one of many fragile branches in the Tree of Life, then this will, hopefully, make us keen to protect it, not only for the intrinsic value or moral obligation, but for the sheer sake of our survival.
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