Metaevolution: Evolution of Evolution
by Paras ChopraMetaevolution is, unsurprisingly, evolution of evolution. But the existing concept of metaevolution is quite different from mine. Existing concept defines meta evolution as evolution of evolution since the big-bang ( i.e. the birth of universe), but I define metaevolution as the evolution of evolution (EoE) since the birth of life (on earth?).
This means that all throughout life's history evolution has not remained same, it itself changes with time to time. This is a two way process: evolution changes the organism so that it tries to become more suited to the existing environment. But an organism is not separate from environment; it is a part of environment. It changes and modifies the environment constantly. Evolution in the altered environment doesn't work in the same way. Thus, evolution has been changed. If there is more than one organism in a particular environment, each affects the environment in its own way. So there are more complex changes in environment. Each of them change the environment in their own way and thus affect the process of evolution which applies to all organisms in that environment.
The species that has had major affect on metaevolution has been undoubtedly, Humans!! This is because humans, thanks to their evolved brains, developed great tools and techniques to alter environments. These all stories of mass extinctions of rare species are demonstrations of nothing but meta-evolution. Humans have changed the course of evolution; therefore, the incapable species don't fit into the environment anymore. Thus they die. I don't see anything wrong with it, but the point is that an organism (us) may change the environment to such an extent which even removes his own food source. Thus the organism is doomed to die.
Meta-evolution is even more interesting concept than evolution. And this is because it involves a complex interplay between organism, environment and evolution itself. Metaevolution may also be influenced by external events such as change in climactic conditions (change of earth from a violent to an earthly place), meteor collision (it wiped out dinosaurs), etc.
I wonder what would have been life today if dinosaurs didn't
go extinct. Would humans still have arisen???
See, we can very well say that life is helping in the evolution of environment
on earth rather than the other way. But it is all the same thing in light
of metaevolution. It doesn't matter if we say if organism changes environment
or environment changes organism, the fact is that there is a constant change
between the two. And due to the change, evolution itself evolves.
But, does evolution also follows the same rules such as survival of the fittest. Maybe, we can know the answer if we can see the affect same organisms on two radically different environments such as two different planets (if life exists beyond earth). Or, we may well compare the different aspects of metaevolution on a computer simulation. In my view, the essence of evolution in extreme places such as hot-springs or glaciers is very different than what we see at other places on earth. How is evolution different there? It has been suggested by the researchers that the conditions of Hydrothermal Systems represent early conditions of earth.
So by studying, the evolution there we might notice how the evolution has been shaped on the earth. But I truly believe that metaevolution needs more thought and study. But if it is true, we see that evolution has evolved into an entirely different species at places where life exists on the edge.
Can there be metametaevolution?? Yes, of course we can do anything on computer simulations. Or if alternate universes exist!!!
April 2006, Jeev
http://www.dce.edu/jeev
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