Recently I was researching the effects environments have on the evolution of a species. As it turns out, the environments that humans surround themselves with have an effect on their evolution. The term is artificial selection. You might have already heard the term natural selection which is natural evolution of a certain species without man made impact. But in artificial selection, human activities determine the evolution of that species.
Effects of artificial selection can be seen in plants.
- Wild Mustard (Brassica oleracea): This single wild weed was selectively bred into vastly different vegetables by targeting specific plant parts --Kale: Cultivated by focusing on large, leafy growth.Broccoli & --Cauliflower: Bred by suppressing flower development and altering buds. --Cabbage: Selected for short stems and tight, dense leaves.
-Corn (Maize): Modern sweet corn was bred from a wild, inedible grass called teosinte, which originally had tiny kernels and hard shells
Effects of artificial selection can be seen in animals as well.
Dog Breeds: All domesticated dogs originated from a common wolf ancestor. Humans bred them for specific tasks and appearances, ranging from tiny toy poodles to massive work dogs.
Dairy Cattle: Farmers systematically breed cows that produce higher milk yields with bulls from similar high-producing lineages, drastically increasing global dairy production.
How about the environments that we create like cities and lifestyle choices? The technology and environments that we have created will have direct influence. Too much reliance on technology might shrink human brain cognitive capabilities for example. Using medicine as a substitute to not fix the cause of ailment is another. This has to do with capitalism as well because you cannot make money by fixing the cause for the problem but you can make money by providing a solution to it. This doesn't mean that humans should get rid of all the root causes which is anger, greed and ignorance and become saints because that is not possible for most people. But we must collectively as a species establish standards and have a sustainable lifestyle.
Artificial selection driven by human preferences or economic utility rather than an organism’s natural fitness including selective breeding frequently introduces harmful mutations, reduces genetic diversity, and produces traits that would be fatal in the wild.
As with any society, individuals alone cannot influence this. Take for example circular economy that clearly requires government intervention to succeed. The government must step in to oversee evolution informed design as well. Circular economy itself is a hard problem to solve, and evolution informed design is even harder. But it's crucial we think about it.
The purpose for writing this article is to share the important message that we have to consider the evolutionary impact before developing and deploying whatever the solutions out to the world over narrow capitalist gains fueled by greed and ignorance.
Thanks for reading.
