Some questions on evolution

[vodkafan]

.......................that right there is probably the root of your confusion. Things change regardless. There is no "have to" - things aren't even "responding" to challenges in the way that human beings conceptualize the terms. This stuff is just happening.

Hi Rhythm
You may well be right, but accepting "shit happens" isn't a very scientific answer. I want to know WHY it happens.

I think there is a basic "have to" about Life. Life always tries to survive, first and foremost. Our most important job, even as more developed biological systems is to pass on our genetic material before we die. (that's the Meaning Of Life right there) You may be right that it does not "respond" to challenges (ie changes in environment) but it does take advantage of changes, to fill every niche, exploit every possible avenue. But it could easily do that without becoming more complex. The more complex a system is , the less adaptable to changes the actual individual organism is. For instance the same bactrium might survive in water or out of it, at high altitude or low altitude, in a volcano or in the arctic. Put a mammal out of his narrow comfort zone and it is dead in a couple of minutes. Do you see what I am getting at? There must be some huge trade off that is advantageous., or evolution would not work that way. What is driving evolution to develop in the direction of more complexity ?

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As to why things evolve to be more complex, that's simple; survival advantage. Being multicellular at least conferred an advantage at some point, and that is why. It's a lengthy subject to talk about, but that's the basic gist.

Survival advantage. Yep but I don't see one example of something becoming less complex ; Can you agree with that? That means there is a question to answer as to why the direction is only going one way.