As parents, it's sometimes tempting to assume that we know everything there is to know, and that our duty in life is to pass this knowledge down to our children. And yet, in reality, there is so much that a child's innate curiosity can teach us.
One evening, I was tutoring my 7-year-old in social studies and we were discussing the evolution of early man. He stared at the typical picture of man evolving from ape in stages and he asked me in all earnestness, "So how did women evolve?" I must admit that the question startled me because I’d never really thought of asking it.
Little did I know that the next 24 hours would bring on a barrage of questions.
Here's a sample:
“So the wild apes are still evolving around the world? And somewhere, there is a primitive man living among us?” to “When they transform into man (or woman), would they need aadhaar cards?”
To find answers to everything but the last question (of course, everyone knows that every evolutionary species that enters India would need aadhar cards), I reached out to Bengaluru-based researcher and scientist Berty Ashley.
A former stem cell researcher, Berty is currently a Senior Researcher at the department of Molecular Genetics at the Dystrophy Annihilation Research Trust in Bengaluru. (The DART trust is an NGO which helps boys stricken with dystrophy, a rare genetic disorder). He also runs a knowledge company called BATT.
Here are 5 fun facts you may never have known about evolution:
Q: Does the female of the species have a different evolutionary identity?
Berty Ashley: Species evolve as a whole.
There is no separate evolution for each of the sexes. Species evolve as a whole. However, you'd be right in saying that the female of the species did evolve from the female ape. There are certain traits which get passed on only through a single sex, for example – all mitochondrial DNA in the world is passed on only through women.
Q: If man evolved from apes, then does this pose threat to the ape population? Are they ever in danger of becoming extinct, purely because of evolution?
Berty Ashley: Evolution is divergent. This means that if one group of apes evolve, that does not mean that the entire ape species stops. Just one sub-species was created when a portion of them evolved. The original still survives! There is no final point for evolution. It is an infinite and incomplete process. Modern apes and humans all evolved from different sub-species of an ancient ancestor.
Q: Why does evolution even happen?
Berty Ashley: Species evolve based on circumstance and need.
The best example is the story of the silver moths. The silver-coloured moth with peppered spots managed to camouflage itself beautifully in the silvery bark of the trees in the UK. It hid from predators and protected itself from discovery in this way. However, times changed and during the industrial revolution in England, pollution was on the rise. As a result of this, trees were filled with soot and so the silver moth stuck out like a sore thumb. Years later, after being easy prey, the moths adapted. One species is now black in colour and can camouflage itself more easily.
Monks, Sherpas and citizens of Lhasa have red blood cells that have evolved to absorb in more oxygen in their bloodstream. This was necessary because at the high altitude in which they lived, oxygen was scarce. Their skin is thicker to withstand the cold.
These are examples of micro-evolution.
Q: How would mankind's physical features evolve in the future? How would we look like, millions of years later?
Berty Ashley: We are no longer evolving physically, but our brains are evolving instead. This explains why even newborn babes these days are so adept at technology. A month old can operate an Ipad with ease! This may even change the way we look in the future (bigger heads, weaker limbs, smaller bodies – for the new age man or woman!)
Q: Can global warming have an impact on our look in the future?
Berty Ashley: Yes, it can!
If global warming continues at the same rate, there are some ways in which the human form would change. We would lose all facial hair to beat the heat. With oxygen becoming rarer, we would have to have bigger nostrils and more powerful lungs. With the depletion of the ozone layer in the atmosphere, we would be exposed to more UV rays. In order to compensate, our bodies would become more melanin pigmented and we would have darker skin.
There is a line of thought that aliens could actually be time-travelling humans from the future who have evolved so much that we can hardly identify them!
“So we’re not the only ones evolving on this planet,” I explain to my son, who listens intently when I relay this information to him a few days later. “Every species continues to evolve and – like the black moths – our actions can affect how an entire species may live and grow in the future. It’s quite an awesome responsibility to have.”
“So every action of ours, no matter how small matters?” he asks with wide eyes. I nod.
A few days later, when we go shopping, I realise how deeply the information has sunk in when he checks several times to ensure that we’re carrying jute bags. “Plastic bags end up in oceans,” he says firmly. “We know sea creatures are dying because of it. But, what if they adapt to plastic waste and there’s a plastic resistant monster evolving down there? Or plastic loving fish? That’s just weird. We need to be careful mommy. I like the world the way it is.”
So do I, kiddo. So do I.
(Kamala Thiagarajan is a journalist based in Madurai, South India. Reporting on issues relating to health, science, travel and culture for a global audience, she believes in the power of bitter coffee and bright sunshine. For her, the most gripping stories are always the ones that are true to life. She can be reached @Kamal_t)
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