Climate Change and Evolution, Essay Example

Climate data and fossil records give insight into evolution, as well as the dispersion of species from Africa into other continents. With this information, the possibility of a link between environmental factors, evolution and expansion have been proposed. For instance, the National Academy of Sciences (2) describes the differences in the evolution of two different hominid species being linked to the effects of regional climate changes. Homo sapiens first appeared in Africa when the earth entered the first glacial time period almost 200,000 years ago. The Homo neanderthalensis; however, was found in Europe at a much earlier time period, during the Pleistocene. Both of these species had anatomical characteristics to them to indicate climate affects. For example, the Neanderthals had shorter legs and forearms representative for cold adaptations and the H. sapiens had a longer and slender body, more associated with warmer climates.

There are current impending environmental changes occurring in our atmosphere that are changing the climate and therefore, this may cause all species, including humans to make adaptations. Climate change can have a significant effect on development, poverty, agricultural production and public health in many different areas around the world. (Lagos et al., 6) In areas where the climate change could have severe effects, the people may expand or migrate to other areas where the effect is not so harsh. The expansion of different people to other cultures or areas can lead to a change in the gene pool of that population, which can adversely affect evolution. Genes that persist in the environment for the two different populations can become more prominent and the phenotypes of the merging populations may change, resulting in a change in the species.

Works Cited

Lagos, R., Wirth, T.E., El-Ashry, M. Facilitating an International Agreement on Climate

Change: Adaptations to Climate Change. (2009). Web: Retrieved from: www.globalclimateaction.org.

National Academy of Sciences. Understanding Climate’s Influence on Human Evolution. (2010). Retrieved from: www.dels-old.nas.edu/dels/rpt_briefs/hominin_report_brief_final.pdf