Concept of Descent With Modifications, Essay Example

In anthropology where organisms failed to adapt or change they would remain essentially static over time.  This means they would not develop different personal traits and behavioural characteristics.  This would create a very bland universe of beings.   This is not the case and the ecology of our planet remains in a constant state of change.  Geology permits us to see changes over time by examination of the strata in soil structures.  Humans may have had a cradle of civilization from Africa but have now evolved to occupy all of the surface areas on our planet. The distribution of plants by seeds in the wind and deposits by birds have facilitated widespread diversification of plant and animal life on the planet. (Park, M.A. 2010)

There are conditions where the rate of change has become too rapid and either plant or animal life has been unable to adapt or modify to the new conditions.  This remains one of the great threats from climate change i.e. the potential destruction of the rain forests, the decline of the tundra region, the potential extinction of animals like Polar Bears and Tigers due to loss of habitat and the ability to cope with an accelerated rate of change and displacement of natural environmental conditions.  Historically, humans have been remarkably adaptable in terms of change.

Fig 1: Illustrates the concept of descent with modification in human beings.  The genetic lineage becomes modified by the introduction of a new parent. In this case the Father creates you with a new genetic lineage made up from the genes of your mother and father. (Dept. of Anthropology, Syracuse University, 2012)

Figure 1: Human descent modification

References

Dept. of Anthropology, Syracuse University. (2012, 9 25). Reading Evolution: What is Evolution? Retrieved from Dept. of Anthropology, Syracuse University: http://readingevolution.com/evolution.html

Park, M. A. (2010). Introducing Anthropology: An integrated approach. In M. A. Park, Introducing Anthropology: An integrated approach (p. 12). New York: McGraw Hill.