Dogs
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2022 3:09 pm
Here's a lighter topic: I can't help but think that dogs are one of the best examples of evolution we have.
Humans domesticated dogs about 30,000 years ago. We have been using selective breeding to transform wolves into the numerous shapes and sizes we see in dogs today. The only difference is that we've been consciously selecting which dogs reproduce rather than letting nature (the environment) make its natural selections, and it shows.
Nature selects for survival fitness. Humans have a completely different set of selection criteria. We select based on loyalty, obedience, temperament, and looks, primarily (some are selected for security), and just think about how successful we've been doing it.
When I look into my little dog's eyes (she's an 8 pound pomche, we think - don't know for sure because she's a rescued dog), all I can think about (other than my resistance fading away) is how she comes from a long line of ancestors selected for cuteness. Everything about her screams cuteness. All of her little features are rounded (baby-like), and her little walk is ridiculously cute. She doesn't have any practical survival skills other than that she's an extremely loyal companion and easy to look at. Well, that and she'll eat almost anything.
I didn't need the example of dogs to prove to me that evolution has been happening since life arrived on earth, but man, are they a great example of the power of selection when it comes to aggregate offspring.
Humans domesticated dogs about 30,000 years ago. We have been using selective breeding to transform wolves into the numerous shapes and sizes we see in dogs today. The only difference is that we've been consciously selecting which dogs reproduce rather than letting nature (the environment) make its natural selections, and it shows.
Nature selects for survival fitness. Humans have a completely different set of selection criteria. We select based on loyalty, obedience, temperament, and looks, primarily (some are selected for security), and just think about how successful we've been doing it.
When I look into my little dog's eyes (she's an 8 pound pomche, we think - don't know for sure because she's a rescued dog), all I can think about (other than my resistance fading away) is how she comes from a long line of ancestors selected for cuteness. Everything about her screams cuteness. All of her little features are rounded (baby-like), and her little walk is ridiculously cute. She doesn't have any practical survival skills other than that she's an extremely loyal companion and easy to look at. Well, that and she'll eat almost anything.
I didn't need the example of dogs to prove to me that evolution has been happening since life arrived on earth, but man, are they a great example of the power of selection when it comes to aggregate offspring.