The Impact of Evolutionary Theory on our Conception of Reality

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36790/epistemus.v17i35.298

Keywords:

Evolution, natural selection, change, common ancestor, primates

Abstract

This essay exposes, in three central axes, the impact that evolutionary theory has had on humanity's conception of nature, biodiversity and itself. Firstly, it considers how scientific advances have helped us to conceive the dynamics of biological processes in nature. Then, the phylogenetic relationship that humans have with the rest of the biological species that exist and have existed on the planet, and the evolutionary lineages that binds us together with a common ancestor. Finally, ethological, morphological, physiological, biochemical and genetic studies support the similarities that we share with mammals and especially with other primates. Only 1% of the genetic characteristics differentiate us from species such as chimpanzees and bonobos, it is these differences that have allowed Homo sapiens to perform great achievements such as reaching the moon or sending memes through technological applications.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

. J. O. A. Onyeka, “The relevance of biological sciences in the 21st century”, Bio-Res., vol. 1, núm. 1, 2004. https://doi.org/10.4314/br.v1i1.28513 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/br.v1i1.28513

. E. Watts y U. Kutschera, “On the historical roots of creationism and intelligent design: German Allmacht and Darwinian evolution in context”, Theory Biosci., vol. 140, núm. 2, pp. 157–168, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12064-021-00341-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12064-021-00341-x

. A. Laats, “An eternal monkey trial? Evolution and creationism in U.S. schools”, Phi Delta Kappan, vol. 102, núm. 5, pp. 24–28, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721721992561 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721721992561

. F. Pelayo, «El impacto del darwinismo en la sociedad española del siglo XIX», Hispania Nova, pp. 310-329, ene. 2016.

. T. Dobzhansky, “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution”, Am. Biol. Teach., vol. 35, núm. 3, pp. 125–129, 1973. https://doi.org/10.2307/4444260 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/4444260

. L. Al-Shawaf, D. M. G. Lewis, N. Barbaro, y Y. S. Wehbe, “The products of evolution: Conceptual distinctions, evidentiary criteria, and empirical examples”, en The SAGE Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology, 1 Oliver’s Yard, 55 City Road London EC1Y 1SP: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2021, pp. 70–95. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529739442.n5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529739442.n5

. C. Rahbek et al., “Building mountain biodiversity: Geological and evolutionary processes”, Science, vol. 365, núm. 6458, pp. 1114–1119, 2019. DOI: 10.1126/science.aax0151 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax0151

. F. J. Cuen Romero, E. Chacón-Baca, J. Moreno-Bedmar, y M. P. Velasco-de León, “FÓSILES: HISTORIA DE LA VIDA EN LA TIERRA”, Epistemus, vol. 14, núm. 28, 2021. DOI: 10.36790/epistemus.v14i28.124 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36790/epistemus.v14i28.124

. S. L. Brusatte et al., “The extinction of the dinosaurs: Dinosaur extinction”, Biol. Rev. Camb. Philos. Soc., vol. 90, núm. 2, pp. 628–642, 2015. DOI: 10.1111/brv.12128 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12128

. G. Ceballos, P. R. Ehrlich, y P. H. Raven, “Vertebrates on the brink as indicators of biological annihilation and the sixth mass extinction”, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., vol. 117, núm. 24, pp. 13596–13602, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.192268611 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1922686117

. D. M. Raup, “The role of extinction in evolution”, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., vol. 91, núm. 15, pp. 6758–6763, 1994. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.91.15.6758 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.91.15.6758

. P. Raia et al., “Past extinctions of homo species coincided with increased vulnerability to climatic change”, One Earth, vol. 3, núm. 4, pp. 480–490, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.09.007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.09.007

. S. Akanuma, “The common ancestor of all modern life”, en Astrobiology, Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2019, pp. 91–103. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3_7

. A. R. McCune y J. C. Schimenti, “Using genetic networks and homology to understand the evolution of phenotypic traits”, Curr. Genomics, vol. 13, núm. 1, pp. 74–84, 2012. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2174/138920212799034785 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2174/138920212799034785

. A. J. Doig, “Frozen, but no accident - why the 20 standard amino acids were selected”, FEBS J., vol. 284, núm. 9, pp. 1296–1305, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.13982 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.13982

. E. V. Koonin y A. S. Novozhilov, “Origin and evolution of the genetic code: the universal enigma”, IUBMB Life, vol. 61, núm. 2, pp. 99–111, 2009. doi: 10.1002/iub.146 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/iub.146

. M. C. Weiss, M. Preiner, J. C. Xavier, V. Zimorski, y W. F. Martin, “The last universal common ancestor between ancient Earth chemistry and the onset of genetics”, PLoS Genet., vol. 14, núm. 8, p. e1007518, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1007518 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1007518

. A. Thanukos, “Bringing homologies into focus”, Evolution (N. Y.), vol. 1, núm. 4, pp. 498–504, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12052-008-0080-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12052-008-0080-5

. K. Prüfer et al., “The bonobo genome compared with the chimpanzee and human genomes”, Nature, vol. 486, núm. 7404, pp. 527–531, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11128 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11128

. A. Sánchez-Amaro y F. Rossano, “Chimpanzees and bonobos use social leverage in an ultimatum game”, Proc. Biol. Sci., vol. 288, núm. 1962, p. 20211937, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1937 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.1937

. J. M. Engelmann et al., “Chimpanzees consider alternative possibilities”, Curr. Biol., vol. 31, núm. 20, pp. R1377–R1378, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.012 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.012

. J. B. Harrod, “The chimpanzee stone accumulation ritual and the evolution of moral behavior”, en Synthese Library, Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021, pp. 63–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68802-8_4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68802-8_4

. N. Kawai y T. Matsuzawa, “Numerical memory span in a chimpanzee: Cognition”, Nature, vol. 403, núm. 6765, pp. 39–40, 2000. https://doi.org/10.1038/47405 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/47405

. Q. Ji, W. Wu, Y. Ji, Q. Li, y X. Ni, “Late Middle Pleistocene Harbin cranium represents a new Homo species”, Innovation (N Y), vol. 2, núm. 3, p. 100132, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100132 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100132

. I. Hershkovitz et al., “A Middle Pleistocene Homo from nesher Ramla, Israel”, Science, vol. 372, núm. 6549, pp. 1424–1428, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abh3169 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abh3169

. F. Chen et al., “A late Middle Pleistocene Denisovan mandible from the Tibetan Plateau”, Nature, vol. 569, núm. 7756, pp. 409–412, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1139-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1139-x

. C. Liu, “A cathedral with disconnected chapels? Reassessing the cognitive capacities of Neanderthals in light of recent archaeological discoveries”, J. Cogn. Cult., vol. 21, núm. 3–4, pp. 243–260, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685373-12340107 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/15685373-12340107

. I. Tattersall, “History and reality of the genus ‘Homo’: What is it and why do we think so?”, Mètode Rev. difus. investig., vol. 0, núm. 8, 2017. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.8.911 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.8.9111

. H. M. Dunsworth, “Origin of the genus homo”, Evolution (N. Y.), vol. 3, núm. 3, pp. 353–366, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12052-010-0247-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12052-010-0247-8

evolucion

Published

2023-08-31

How to Cite

Buelvas Soto, J. (2023). The Impact of Evolutionary Theory on our Conception of Reality. EPISTEMUS, 17(35), 75–79. https://doi.org/10.36790/epistemus.v17i35.298

Issue

Section

Science Technology and Society

Metrics

Similar Articles

<< < 4 5 6 7 8 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.