Innovation and Speciation: whale changes (Evolution)

by David Turell , Friday, June 02, 2017, 23:48 (2729 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID’s comment: What this further study shows is that our earliest ancestors coming out of trees had advanced bipedal changes before permanently climbing down. Their upper body was apelike and last to change. It seems like evolution follows the pattern of change first and use second, as the big brain, size first use second.(

dhw:I think this clearly shows a step-by-step process of adaptation to a new environment. Your use of “permanently” reinforces this idea. They didn’t suddenly leap down from the trees as fully formed hominins, but different changes occurred as they became more and more accustomed to life on the ground – just like the pre-whales adapting in different stages to life in the water.

DAVID: Of course evolution occurs step by step. Only they are giant steps.

c dhw: I was replying to your theory that change preceded use, i.e. that it was fully formed hominins that jumped down from the trees, or fully formed whales that entered the water. I find it more logical to hypothesize that the giant steps were initiated by the change of environment, driven by the desire for survival and/or improvement (though you prefer complexity), and implemented improvement by improvement.

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Your same response to look for an internal organismal drive, instead of an external force