Questions for TERB evolutionary biologists

S

Smallcock

Active member
Jun 5, 2009
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How did single cell organisms (apparently how all life forms started on earth) evolve into multi-cell organisms? Are there any observable instances of this?

If species are constantly evolving and this is the process by which new species come into existence, why don't we observe thousands of different species evolving into brand new species every day (since there are billions of species on earth)?
 
The universe was created 5,000 years ago by an old white male with a long beard.
 
Actually biologists continue to discover new species. So evolution is still occurring.

And humans continue to change as well. We are getting bigger, taller. I believe the average height 2000 years ago and even more recently was about 5' for a male. Now it has to be about 5'8".

Part of that is better nutrition but we are changing.
 
We were seeded by asteroids, maybe by accident or maybe by design. Some claim our genome contains the answers.

Some species and some organisms evolve some devole, the strong and adaptable ones thrive and can survive the ever change.

My question is how did the first living organism start. Does it just form when the right ingredients are present and tap into the ever present energy through out the universe and connect into the spirit when then connection is ready and formed for the transfer.
 
Butler1000 said:
Actually biologists continue to discover new species. So evolution is still occurring.
Click to expand...

Discovering new species is different from observing one species evolve into another species. We haven't even begun to discover all the species that exist in the oceans, so it's not surprising that we will continue to discover new species every day.

Butler1000 said:
And humans continue to change as well. We are getting bigger, taller. I believe the average height 2000 years ago and even more recently was about 5' for a male. Now it has to be about 5'8".

Part of that is better nutrition but we are changing.
Click to expand...

We are evolving but we're still humans, just as all the other species are evolving and remain the same species. If you could travel in time and have sex with a woman from 2000 years ago, you would be able to breed with her because she's still human just as you are. How and where do new species come about?
 
If one-celled critters evolve into multi-celled guys, wouldn't there be a intermediate step of two-celled critters? Do any such critters exist?
 
I am no evolutionary biologist although I was schooled in
chemical science. Based on knowledge acquired from A-level
biology and common sense I can think of some easy answers
to your questions.

I don't think the time span of the evolution of single-cell
organism into more complicated life forms could forever
be known to high certainty as that is from the very early
stage of evolution dating back to perhaps 3 billion years
ago. My understanding is date assigned to events in the
timeline of evolution older than 1 billion years ago must
be speculative. Whatever the length of that period is
it has to be impossibly long to be observable. Human
physiology of our ancestors from 100,000 years ago
are that same as we are. The course of Neanderthal
extinction however rapid could not be an observable
event even to someone who liver 40,000 years ago.
Evolution is a painfully slow process.

Evolution of simpler lifeform such as bacteria
transpired in shorter periods because they undergo
mutation constantly. Thats why so many bacterial
pathogen has developed resistance to penicillin over
a short time. My understanding is that in such case
the bacteria are just evolving to different strain.
Evolution of a species of amoeba to something
more complicated is a big step of longer duration
I imagine.
 
Smallcock said:
How did single cell organisms (apparently how all life forms started on earth) evolve into multi-cell organisms? Are there any observable instances of this?
Click to expand...
Mutation.

Smallcock said:
If species are constantly evolving and this is the process by which new species come into existence, why don't we observe thousands of different species evolving into brand new species every day (since there are billions of species on earth)?
Click to expand...
There probably are a lot. How are we to monitor all of them, though.

Millions would be invisible to the naked eye due to being microorganisms. The flu virus mutates.

Millions would be underwater, or in uninhabited areas, or underground etc., etc.

Just because we can't see them all happening does not mean it isn't happening. If a tree falls in the forest....
 
shack said:
Mutation.


There probably are a lot. How are we to monitor all of them, though.

Millions would be invisible to the naked eye due to being microorganisms. The flu virus mutates.

Millions would be underwater, or in uninhabited areas, or underground etc., etc.

Just because we can't see them all happening does not mean it isn't happening. If a tree falls in the forest....
Click to expand...

But isn't that what's perplexing. Since there are so many millions, at any given moment, shouldn't some species be turning into new species?

I don't know whether the flu virus mutations are a good comparison. They may be. But as I understand it, we don't even know whether a virus is a living thing. Viruses have characteristics of both living and non-living entities, and as such we would not be capable of studying any "reproductive" attributes or changes in viruses.
 
good questions - they have answers. Here's a good book. http://www.amazon.ca/The-Ancestors-Tale-Pilgrimage-Evolution/dp/061861916X


Smallcock said:
How did single cell organisms (apparently how all life forms started on earth) evolve into multi-cell organisms? Are there any observable instances of this?

If species are constantly evolving and this is the process by which new species come into existence, why don't we observe thousands of different species evolving into brand new species every day (since there are billions of species on earth)?
Click to expand...
 
Smallcock said:
But isn't that what's perplexing. Since there are so many millions, at any given moment, shouldn't some species be turning into new species?
Click to expand...
They are. But who is there to witness? As I said, many are too small. Most are inaccessible to man.

As well many mutations are very slight and it sometimes takes thousands of generations for mutations to be noticed by man.

Smallcock said:
I don't know whether the flu virus mutations are a good comparison. They may be. But as I understand it, we don't even know whether a virus is a living thing. Viruses have characteristics of both living and non-living entities, and as such we would not be capable of studying any "reproductive" attributes or changes in viruses.
Click to expand...
Viruses are living entities and mutate very rapidly.
 
Smallcock said:
We are evolving but we're still humans, just as all the other species are evolving and remain the same species. If you could travel in time and have sex with a woman from 2000 years ago, you would be able to breed with her because she's still human just as you are. How and where do new species come about?
Click to expand...

You realize an evolution branch takes millions of years right?
Humans certainly are evolving (although mixed race breeding is setting that clock back a few thousand years)

There are evolutionary advantages to different races of humans
 
Smallcock said:
(since there are billions of species on earth)?
Click to expand...

Billions??? A tad high

Most estimates are in the 8 million range (and ALOT of those are very small simple organisms or one off genetic mutations)
Long way to go until a billion unique forms of life
Only about 1 million have actually been certified/documented


From a technical side MORE species would tend to indicate evolution is failing
Dominant species tend to wipe out less successful ones (most obvious example in modern era being Australia)
 
TeeJay said:
You realize an evolution branch takes millions of years right?
Humans certainly are evolving (although mixed race breeding is setting that clock back a few thousand years)

There are evolutionary advantages to different races of humans
Click to expand...

How does mixed race breeding set back evolution? Wouldn't it be speeding up the clock and make the human stock even stronger (more genetic variation)?
 
TeeJay said:
Humans certainly are evolving (although mixed race breeding is setting that clock back a few thousand years)
Click to expand...


???

Some studies have shown mixed-race children (half black) tend to perform better on I.Q. tests than their white (or black) counterparts. I have mixed race cousins who are super smart and performed extremely well in school.


Smallcock said:
Wouldn't it be speeding up the clock and make the human stock even stronger (more genetic variation)?
Click to expand...


Yes, more genetic variation is a good thing. Look what happened to the Hapsburgs....
 
A lot of people think that evolution follows a direct line towards advancement and 'perfection' and that's not necessarily the case. All it really is, is variation.

Because humans became bipedal, we therefore have more dangerous (not so much anymore) and painful births than other species (due to the narrowing of the pelvis). Because we can speak, we also developed the ability to choke to death on our food much more so than other species (due to the lowering of the larynx). Evolution does not equal perfection.

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_32
 
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