Name: Adam D Oswald
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Question:
Did evolution ever happen and if so is there any evidence?
Replies:
Yes, evolution has happened and with luck will continue to happen.
Some may think that life will cease unless evolution proceeds.
Humans, with their ability to modify the environment may not require
evolution. Evolution occurs as a result of complex interactions
between changes in the environment and migrations into new niches of
environments. A niche can be thought of an any aspect or combination
of characteristics that interact to provide new food shelter, predators,
parasites, reproductive success etc., that leads to the fixation of
a "species" that occupies such a niche. Sounds like gobble-de-gook
doesn't it! Actually evolution has been observed and scientists now
know that it needn't take a long time (like millions of years). Recently.
evolution was documented in finches that live in the Galapagos islands.
I believe the period of time was about 20 years. Also, evolution has been
in the laboratory by studying a small fish that evolved into a new species
when it was forced to live in a new habitat. Evolution must be thought of
as a continual process that may or may not proceed slowly. Plants and animals
probably require it and so may we. Keep your curiosity!
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