Stop and Think! Isn't it Amazing...

[Armadillo]

Okay, the conversation has gotten really interesting regarding natural selection and evolution. In particular, this statement, made in jest, begs the question of peppers evolving into hotter species in the wild. Not the purposeful genetic manipulation we humans partake in to develop hotter species, but the hotter species being discovered in the wild. Since mainly pepper plants depend on birds to spread the seed and birds cannot detect heat, why do peppers seem to be evolving into hotter and hotter varieties? What possible purpose can this serve...from the pepper plants' perspective?

I believe that the spreading long distance by birds is the reason why hot chilis had a selective advantage against mild ancestors. A pod falling down, rotting and setting free the seeds may help the species to survive but not to spread. Human manipulation is a new dimension of the evolution. We will never be god-like by that. But we select and we change and we select again. If those greenhouse and human care varieties would have a chance in wildlife is questionable. Lets have a view on bacteria. There are a lot of antibiotics multiresistent bacteria developping in hospitals. Their only selection advantage is that resistence. In wildlife they are quickly overgrown by wild nonresistent germs.

What's even crazier is man's influence on nature's natural selection.

Horses have been bred to have incredible muscle mass and tooth pick thin legs when compared to their wild cousins.

Chinese crested dogs would never have made it in the wild, but they flourish (somewhat) for bizarro dog lovers.

There are now like 450 distinct breeds of cow. All due to our wants and whims.

The lowly cabbage has evolved into something like 20 other vegetables under our selective care.

Wimps though we are, we have moved beyond survival and into playing god.

I'm absolutely optimistic for mother nature. Even if mankind achieves to extinguish 99% of all species mother nature will have estimated four billion years for a new evolution after we are gone. So pollution and the vanishing of species is anecdotic for nature. But it creates a bad environment for us and will extinguish us some day if we don't hit the breaks.

 

[chilehunter]

Lots of folks will complain and whine when their luxury's are taken away from them. But, put them in a situation where it's live or die and you would be surprised just how tough they can get.

you'd also be surprised as to how many of them would be complete idiots & wouldnt know what to do if their life depended on it.

Wimps though we are, we have moved beyond survival and into playing god.

cant agree with ya more, on the playing God part.

 

[TheJollyRancher]

I think Talas may have picked up on an idea I had...