Is evolution progress?

Question

Is evolution an improvement or a specialization? Are they the same thing? Is there an evolutionary perfection?

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

Evolution is not necessarily an improvement...The Dodo bird has had the same amount of time to evolve as the rest of us (about 4 billion years in the making)...but that didn't improve it's chances when it meet dogs and humans.

Evolution can be a specializing process. Some flowers can only be pollinated by a specific bird or bee species and no other. Some birds or bees can only feed from one specific breed of flower. The advantage in specialization is that it creates a "closed market" were fewer species will (or even can) complete for that specific food or shelter.

Just be the species is highly specialized does not necessarily mean it's improved. Like in example above...if just the specific pollinator went extinct (hunted or disease)...then the flowering plant would go extinct. If all the flowering plant were exterminated...then the specialized pollinator would die.

Evolutionary Perfection -- Cockroach.

P.S. -- Evolution acts on populations...not individuals.

Answer 3

This is a philosophical question involving evaluation of good and bad.  ["Improvement" means "getting better."]  As such, it cannot be answered by science.  Science discovers and defines what is, how things are; it does not decide whether they are good or bad.  This is the strength of Science, and its limitation.  

Evolution certainly produces specialization.  This is a value-neutral concept, so science can define it.  Evolutionists usually act as if survival and reproduction are "good," and of course as humans we instinctively feel this is right.  

Humans do, of course, place "good" and "bad" values on things, according to our own purposes.  We also instinctively believe that there is a real "good" and "bad;" e.g. respecting your parents is "good;" betraying a friend is "bad."  Many humans believe that these values are of divine origin.  This cannot be proved or disproved by Science.  

For those of us who enjoy studying the varied and ever-changing nature of living creatures, the more specialized living things resulting from evolution certainly do seem "good."  But that isn't a statement of Science.

Answer 4

Evolution is only perfect when native. Do not play with it. Let it alone. I'm not jealous well make sure none is abuse.

Answer 5

Evolution is indeed an improvement and I also consider it a specialization to an environment.Evolution must occur to insure the survival of species.Without evolution species would just die out because they lack the tools necessary for survival.

Answer 6

progress is a vague term that generally doesn't really apply.  In some niches, more complexity and greater size may be "better", in other niches, a simpler and smaller organism may develop.

Answer 7

NO, and in fact natural selection happens on an individual level.  Thus, reproductive success of individuals might actually decrease the survival chances of a species.  99.9% of all species that have existed are extinct.

Edit: I did not state evolution acts on individuals.  I stated natural selection acts on individuals.

Answer 8

Evolution is just change wether beneficial or detrimental. And nothing will ever be perfect, as there is always room for change, and even if there wasnt there is no way to stop evolutinon.

Answer 9

Hey "yahoo user" - this statement of yours:

"How can you explain that our highly complex Universe as well as everything in it came by chance? Surely, there is an intelligence behind all this. I mean, please don't tell me that the first proteins, which are very well-structured molecules of life, were produced by pure chance."

...shows that you don't understand natural selection. The differential reproduction of individuals with different traits is not due to chance, but to selection pressures. Educate yourself on the actual theory, because it seems your web resource has a few things wrong (also that the theory said anything about a god). How can you rail against what you so clearly do not understand? Also, the origin and evolution of the UNIVERSE is not covered by the theory of evolution by natural selection.

To the questioner - improvement may occur, if by "improvement" you mean the ability of an individual to better survive and reproduce within a particular environment compared to its competitors. Specialization is one way by which an individual can "win" in a reproductive sense. Evolution works by an organism being "more sufficiently suited" than its competitors - perfection is not necessary, and is highly unlikely, as evolutionary pressures change over time (just think of how the environment changes over time!).

Answer 10

Not necessarily.  Sometimes things go wrong and species go extinct or they have problems.

Answer 11

First of all, evolution is improvement. If you use the natural selection model, nature selects the best, fittest among a group, so in a sense yes, we are improving day by day, generation by generation. Drastic evolution involves mutation and the survival of the mutant species which appears to be better. Specialization, well in my opinion no. Specialization is something that differentiates us. But as long as all the other species keep evolving, none will ever be special in a sense that relatively we are at the same position.

As for evolutionary perfection, there is nothing such as that, because in ay case there will still be scope for improvement.

Answer 12

<<Is evolution an improvement or a specialization?>>

That can occur, but it doesn't have to.

<<Are they the same thing?>>

Specialisation is generally an improvement, but not necessarily.  For example, should the surrounding circumstances alter, your specialisation may become a liability.

<<Is there an evolutionary perfection?>>

No.  That which works well enough is good enough.  Making it more effective than necessary would be a waste of resources.

Answer 13

No. Evolution is only change through mutation.  Typically, it leads indirectly to progress because if the environment changes (which it does all the time), those mutations that better suit the change will prevail, and that usually LOOKS like progress since your species didn't die off!

Answer 14

There is no such thing as evolutionary perfection. for example, the deers develop camoflauge and speed to stay awy from predators like cheetahs. then the cheetahs evolve and get faster to stay alive as species. so its a on going cycle.

Answer 15

Evolution occurs by a mutation that gives the organism a better chance to survive long enough to reproduce and therefore carry on the mutation.  If the mutation does not improve the organism's chance of survival and reproduction, it will not be carried on, so that one doesn't contribute to evolution.  Some changes are for a specialization when an organism is isolated in a changed environment with a different food source.  It doesn't happen by choice, though, but by chance.  

Who would define evolutionary perfection?  If an organism is adapted perfectly for its environment, I guess that could be called evolutionary perfection, until its environment changes.

Answer 16

Yes. Species are evolving towards higher intelligence. Either humans will evolve into a higher form of consciousness or will perish. And in that event, a new species will come about to out evolve man.

We are evolving towards the light, the source of light in the sun. That is the primary instigator of evolution, via sunlight and other rays.The main process of evolution is the interchange and interplay of energy between the sun and the Earth. It is also the primary catalyst for reproduction. These things are not widely known by science.

It's not just a coincidence that species are evolving into higher forms of intelligence as time goes by...

Higher intelligence is inevitable.

Answer 17

evolution is a change..could be an improvement or be a harmful one if occuring owing to mutation.

it is an inevitable process, could occur slowly, owing to the environmental factore, or could be very fast , mite occur in the next generation itself, owing to mutation.

mostly it leads to a change, that makes the living beings more adjustable to the environment.

however sometimes, it could lead to such a change, that could make them extinct as well.

these evolutions are mainly caused owing to anthropogeniic contributions vis-a-vis pollution.

however on a long run, evolution is a necessary process for survival, cos it mekes you more adaptable to the environment in which you stay.

it could be at physical or genetic level and is an intriguing phenomenon of nature.

Answer 18

evolutin is making progres by adapting to our enviroment. it is all baced around natural selection.

example

-rabits cant run fast

-there is a freak mutation in their geans making them be able to run fast. but only certain rabits have thiss.

- a new preditor is introduced into the enviroment

- the rabits who canot run fast die out because the new preditor catches them.

- the rabits that can run fast live and go on to reproduce.

natural selection can only happen if ther is a change in the enviroment . if the new preditor wasnt introduced then ther would be no advantage to running fas and the mutation would eventualy just die out.

evolutin os natural selection hapening ove and ove again untill it becomes a diferant spicise.

so realy its both its improving to cope with ur enviroment and specialising to it.

side note: just an interesting fackt. humans at the moment are going throuh deevlution. because of all our medicen and teatments for genetick deses or disadvantages that in the wild would just die out. are in the modern day flurishing and our specise is getting less evolved.

Answer 19

First, there is micro evolution, such as dog breeding or tree grafting, which is observable and documentable. It can lead to progress or improvement.

Macro evolution on the other hand is a theory popularized by Darwin. It has not been observed due to time scale, but some theories suggest that improvements survive and degeneration becomes extinct. There is no evidence either way.

Answer 20

Defining it as progress would mean that it is moving towards a goal. Based on Darwin's theory, evolution only moves to adapt and does not move towards creating a perfect species. So it can be known as an improvment and sometimes a specialization, it is just an adaptation to survive in the enviornment. But as species change so does the enviornment. So evolution is always happening and not towards a goal.

Answer 21

An analogy might be helpful. General Motors, like other corporations, tries to adapt to its environment, which includes meeting consumer demand. To this end, they have been focusing (specializing) on SUVs. Because of the experience gained from this focus, their designs and processes (and marketing) for these vehicles have continued to improve. But, in the era of $4 gas, the environment has changed and these models are "dying out." SUVs will still have a niche (i.e. remnant populations), but GM has been hit hard and will have to adapt to its new environment. To really stretch the analogy, GM keeps the designs in its archives (DNA?) and can revive them if the old environment resumes (recessive genes). (One key difference is that GM is sentient and DNA is not, making GM's adaptations far quicker than pure trial-and-error.)

Answer 22

First of all evilution, is a lie. I don't even believe it at all. How did, why did for that matter did the "sexes" come to be when at first no s*x was needed to procreate? Why did eyes and ears "evolve" when in the "begining" they weren't needed? How do you come up with millions of different DNA if everything came from one scorce?

First answer these.

Answer 23

Evolution is a process of adapting to change, since conditions are always changing more quickly than evolution can keep up there would be no evolutionary perfection. Although there are certain types of bacteria that haven't changed in eons, so they'd come closest.

Answer 24

It is important here for you to define what you mean by "evolutionary perfection". If by that you mean having the "ideal" characteristics required to survive in a given environment (again, such a notion is disputable, but for the sake of simplicity consider a frozen frame in time) then you can consider evolution an "improvement" with respect to that environment and the species' ability to survive.

However, evolution does not always involve specialization...it depends wholly on the needs of the species in a given environment... specialization is far too vague and undirectional a term for one to attack it in such a scenario but i'll tell you this: there is no evolutionary "peak" ( perhaps this is the sort of evolutionary perfection you were referring to?). Evolution just involves a change to better adapt to one's environment... once you change you are not "better" generally speaking, but better suited to your environment perhaps which makes you "improved" in that sense.

Answer 25

Actually, many have now good and solid evidence that evolution is actually false such as the author Harun Yahya. I've been reading his book "The Evolution Deceit". I haven't finished reading it yet but so far it's very convincing. Also, in the Bible, read Genesis 1:24-28. If Christians don't believe what's written there and still claim that evolution is true, then you are contradicting you're own religion. This is because evolution denies the creation of God. How can you explain that our highly complex Universe as well as everything in it came by chance? Surely, there is an intelligence behind all this. I mean, please don't tell me that the first proteins, which are very well-structured molecules of life, were produced by pure chance.

Oh yeah "k" - You think that I don't know what evolution really is, well then read this http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/articl...

Answer 26

depends on if you see it as improvement and yes it would seems though it is specialization. Perfection well there will always be mutations good or bad. I don't think nature is design to seek perfection, I think it is designed to adapt to the changing enviroment around it. What would be considered "perfect" in one era or eon might be seriously flawed or unviable in another.

Answer 27

Evolution is a species' improvement or specialization to a certain environment so that they have better chances of survival.  Evolutionary perfection cannot be attained, as once the inevitably environment changes, whatever adaptations already present may become maladaptive and dangerous to the species in question.  An evolutionary perfection does not exist because it constantly changes.

Answer 28

Evolution is a *temporary* improvement: change the environment, and the improvements are null and void. For example, plants which have adapted to long periods of drought might find themselves struggling to survive if the weather becomes rainy, or even die because the former environment never required that their roots be resistant to water stagnation.

A specialization is a risky deal on part of the species: it becomes better and better at exploiting a single niche, or resource: this way it seldom has any competition and what little it has is disadvantaged because the other species are 'not as good'. The risk lies in the fact that the niche may disappear. Not all species are specialised: rats, humans and bears come to mind. They're 'jack of all trades' with a widespread distribution, eating whatever doesn't run away too fast or fight back. The panda is a specialized bear who only eats bamboo shoots.

The concept of evolutionary perfection is tricky. I suppose you could say that a species is 'perfectly evolved' when the niche it occupies is 100% exploited: a competing species would have 0% fitness. But I'd tread carefully around saying such a thing. You could say that 'bats are perfectly evolved for hunting at night', but on the other hand owls are just as successful for hunting at night, so how can there be two types of perfection looking so different?

Answer 29

I wouldn't say perfection but there are examples of species that have survived millions of years with very little change: Crocodiles and Sharks.

Evolution is the study of variance throughout living organisms. Whether those be variance or mutation, and the process of natural selection.