Evolution is a continuous process. You might have heard that our ancestry comes from apelike creatures, but do you know how and from where it all started? Life on earth is billions of years old. Without a doubt, discoveries are being made constantly, but here we have compiled a list of the ten most mind-blowing facts about the evolution of life. Read them to find out more.
We are still Evolving
Did you know this? We, humans, and in fact all other organisms are still evolving. It’s nothing new that people change, their characteristics change, populations change. And though we are all here in present, life is still evolving. Depending on our bodies’ changing needs and our surroundings, we tend to adapt. Adaption is one of nature’s most notable wonders. For example, the Northern European inhabitants who lack vitamin D3, become pale and weak in places where the sunlight is less, as compared to the people of Southern Europe, who do not lack vitamin D3 as they’ve already had enough of it. Our bodies are evolving and will never stop doing so.
The Story of Hiccups
The next shocking fact to top our list is related to the story of hiccups. According to scientists, we might have inherited hiccups from our fish and amphibian ancestors. The same muscle that a fish uses to process water into its gills and makes it gulp air is what humans have copied. This is how we actually do hiccup. Hiccups are something our body doesn’t need now. This means they may be a leftover of our evolution from aquatic species to homo sapiens. How mind-blowing is that?!
Human Evolution began with Fire
The discovery of fire is something that didn’t just lead to eating cooked food and advancement. Turns out that it even changed the manner we are built. We began cooking around 800,000 years ago. This means before the fire, our ancestors used to chomp down just raw meat. The human body had a different way of functioning back then. There were stronger teeth and a better digestive system. But after consuming cooked food, our whole digestive system changed. Today, we have much smaller teeth as the food is easier to chew. Thus, human evolution began with fire.
Homo Sapiens are around for about 195,000 years
As new discoveries are being made regularly, the facts about our ancestry have been changing constantly. When scientists discovered a skull from Morocco in 2017, human history was assumed to be older than 100,000 years. Later, after analyzing other skulls and remains from Ethiopia, the researchers claimed that modern humans- Homo Sapiens, have been around for about 195,000 years. New discoveries from Africa bring in new facts and information. Though we are still learning more about our origin, it is clear that our ancestry is long, long enough!
Evolution doesn’t take place for a specific reason
Why do Elephants have trunks? Or Why do Giraffes possess long necks? Or Why do we have two legs and not four? The answer to all these questions is evolution. But the reason? Well, evolution doesn’t really happen for a specific reason. It simply takes place slowly in order to adapt to our surroundings. Elephants’ trunks, giraffes’ long necks, and humans’ two legs are all a result of evolution. All our bodies evolved to be useful in the given conditions. It’s all about nature, which is totally unpredictable. Things just happen and we learn to adapt to them, not the other way around.
Platypus was the first mammal that actually evolved from reptiles
Have you ever looked at a platypus? They are those weirdly cute animals that resemble both reptiles and mammals. They are reptiles in the way they lay eggs and are also the first-ever mammal that evolved from a reptile. Platypus, today are categorized as mammals because they are capable of producing milk. They have a totally unique genetic makeup. Platypuses are a live example of convergent evolution. It was recently discovered that they are poisonous and bear a resemblance to the venom genes of other reptiles including starfish and snakes.
85% of Humans can’t wiggle their ears
Ear movement is pretty common in mammals like horses, dogs, and cats. But what about humans? Only 15% of humans can easily wiggle their ears. Well, this one’s a not-so-shocking fact because if you are a human belonging to the remaining 85%, you are probably feeling good about it. According to scientists, the Auricularis muscles located in the outer ear are responsible for ear movement. It was used by early humans to pinpoint sounds coming from far-off places. But with time, the need for intensified hearing was eliminated. Thus, ear wiggling is a trait that our ancestors possessed, and is now functionless.
Human Body is full of leftovers
Our body is full of surprises. While most of the organs have their place in the human body, others have become pretty useless over time. We all know that evolution is a process, and that too a slow one. For this reason, there still exist certain organs that don’t serve us. They are referred to as leftovers or vestigial traits. Some examples include an appendix. Earlier, it was thought to be a part of our digestive system, but it is dysfunctional today. Another example of human body leftovers includes wisdom teeth. Our ancestors possessed wisdom teeth to break down the raw stubborn meat, which is of no use anymore.
The idea of Evolution is older than Charles Darwin
How old do you think the idea of Evolution is? According to some historical recordings, Charles Darwin (the genius who introduced hybrid plants as well) wasn’t the first human to think and question our ancestry and existence. Though the term Evolution was coined later, the idea is pretty old. The 495 BC Greek philosopher, Empedocles deduced that the human body and in fact the whole universe is made up of just four elements – air, water, fire, and earth. His study suggested that the attraction and repulsion forces are responsible for life on earth and everything keeps changing with time. Other historical thinkers include the Roman philosopher Lucretius and Anaximander, the Greek philosopher who believed that a fish created the first human. Therefore, the concept is older than you probably think.
All Life on earth evolved from Bacteria billions of years ago
Life on earth only became possible when oxygen came in. The earliest organisms to ever live on earth were microbes. This means that we all descended from bacteria. After much analysis of rocks and other elements, it is assumed that all life on earth evolved from just a single bacteria billions of years ago. The rare living Stromatolites are evidence of the earth’s earliest life forms.
