Reflection on Evolutionary Theory

Evolution by Natural Selection, is how overtime favorable variations

increase in frequency. This fundamental part of Darwins theory of evolution
made me realize that I didnt understand the theory of evolution correctly
before. I viewed natural selection just as survival of the fittest, and didnt
think at all about the intraspecific variations of a species or interspecific
variations between several species. Or the effects of so many micro
evolutionary forces and macro evolutionary forces. That there are so many
different selective pressures that produce so many different results over long
periods of time. How important a specific environmental niche results in the
evolution of different species and similar like species with similar traits. And
how extraordinary the evolution of modern humans came from a shared
ancestor with old world monkeys.
Sickle cell anemia and tay-sachs diseases are some good examples of
selective pressures resulting in evolution. Because its difficult to accept at
first how a disease that is deadly can be a favorable trait that increases in
frequency overtime. Through research the evidence for evolution to the
advantage in history of heterozygous individuals of these traits. Due to a
biocultural change in the world, the rise of farming lead to the clearing of
forests resulting in large areas with standing water. This created a new
ecological niche for the mosquito, which is a carrier for malaria. In the less
advanced part of the world, malaria has had a devastating impact on human
life. But here is where we find the link to the rise of sickle cell anemia
favorability. Heterozygous carriers of the allele for sickle cell anemia have a
mix of good blood cells and sickle blood cells they have a resistance to
malaria. This is the evidence to support the favorability of such a trait in a
population. That overtime heterozygous individuals survived longer to
reproduce offspring, thus increasing the frequency of sickle cell anemia. This
example has evidence of the micro evolutionary forces mutation and
selection. How an original mutation in the genetic code of humans created
the sickle cell trait that ultimately became a favorable variation in third world
countries. And through selection has increased in frequency overtime in third
world populations. Tay-sachs disease is another example of evolutionary
forces impacting a population resulting in the increase in frequency of a
deadly disease. Heterozygous carriers of the Tay-sachs allele are theorized to
be more resistant to tuberculosis. Eastern European Jewish populations in
history where persecuted and forced to live in the ghettos. Dirty and
unhealthy parts of populated cities where tuberculosis was present. Along
with the theory that the Jewish population only reproduced with one another
and didnt marry and reproduce often outside of their religious and ethnic
cultures. This theoretically resulted in the increase of the tay-sachs mutation
to be higher in eastern European Jewish descendants then other ethnic
backgrounds of the world. Through mutation, non-random mating and
selection the tay-sachs allele became more frequent in Eastern Jewish
populations and descendants.

The most interesting macro evolutionary force is Mosaic evolution. That

different functional (anatomical systems) evolve at different times and rates.
And that it doesnt all happen simultaneously. The education of this macro
evolutionary force gave new insight into my original beliefs of evolution. That
our specific traits like bipedalism, small teeth, and big brains didnt evolve at
the same time. That it took millions of years for these changes to occur.
Theory and fossil evidence hypothesize that bipedal apes were the first step
towards human evolution. That our early hominin ancestors evolved into
bipedal like apes over seven million years ago, with small teeth occurring
three million years ago, and finally big brains around two million years ago.
The most interesting characteristic through early human evolution is the
sagittal crest. With evidence in the fossil record showing the decrease in the
sagittal crest and other heavy chewing complex traits decreasing overtime
and resulting in modern humans having small faces and bigger brains. From
the pre-australopiths and australopiths having significantly large and obvious
sagittal crests, to Homo habilis and Home erectus having evidence of a
reduced form called a sagittal keel. To the disappearance of any such sagittal
keel or crest in most Neanderthals and modern humans.
There is much debate in anthropology over the evolution of the human
species. Was there several evolutions of early hominins to modern humans. A
more convergent like theory of evolution occurring in several parts of the
world, and coming to the same result? This theory is unlikely with such
different environments and selective pressures around the world. Or the
theory that modern humans originally diverged from the apes in Africa and
ultimately spread out across the world from their and replaced and possibly
reproduced with other pre-modern humans around the world. The most
intriguing and interesting find is the Homo floresiensis from Flores, Indonesia.
This species has a dramatic similarities of Homo erectus and modern humans
besides the dramatic difference in size. Their called the hobbits of our
Homo genus. And theorized to be descendants of Homo erectus. That
through divergence they evolved isolated form other Homo erectus
populations on the island of Flores and evolved under the selective pressure
of and theory of insular dwarfing, just like elephants that where dwarfed and
found near the Homo floresiensis fossils. This is the most interesting find of
early pre-modern homo. Because it is such a dramatic find in the similarities
to Homo erectus and then again such differences. Where they descendants
of Homo erectus? And the dating of the fossils suggests that they lived only
13,000 years ago in our history. Did they live alongside modern humans? Did
they interact with modern humans? Or did they stay away and hide from
them?
Through the study of anthropology and evolution I have learned and
developed a new understanding and view of human evolution. That its not
just survival of the fittest, because theres a lot more to the theory of
evolution. How its during times of stronger selective pressures that result in
the quickest and most dramatic changes to species. Did our ancestors
include more than just the first Homo sapiens and more Neanderthal then we

want to admit? What ultimately happened to the Neanderthal species? Did

they ultimately survive through reproduction with more modern like humans?
Or did it only occur a few times in history and they ultimately went extinct in
competition with Homo sapiens? Through DNA evidence we know that we
have some Neanderthals alleles in the modern genome but the question still
remains with happened to the Neanderthals? I look forward to continue
learning of evidence and new theories revolving around the Neanderthals
and Homo floresiensis species, to see if answers and evidence can be found
to know more about what happened to these Homo species. Through the
study of evolution, Ive learned a great deal of where modern humans have
evolved from, and has created more questions than answers to the mystery
of each step in our evolutionary history. Hopefully new technology and hard
work will yield more evidence and answer more questions and make new
discoveries in the future.

Works Cited
Culotta, Elizabeth. "How the Hobbit Shrugged: Tiny Hominid's Story Takes
New Turn." Science
19 May 2006: 983-84. Print.
Jared Diamond. "Curse and Blessing of the Ghetto." Discover Magazine Mar.
1991: 193-97.
Print.
Wong, Kate. "The Littlest Human." Scientific American Feb. 2005: 56-65.
Print.
Trevathan, Jurmain Kilgore. Human Origins: Evolution and Diversity. N.p.:
Cengage Learning.,
n.d. Print.