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To: AntiGuv

The capacity to survive the total annihilation of the planet is only an evolutionary advantage if the planet is actually totally anihilated. Barring this, those species that are most successful at reproducing, given their actual environment are the ones that are the "pinnacle of evolution." By that measure, the sauropods were very successful until their environment changed radically. It is easy to imagine an environment in which humans would not be particularly successful. For example, if tommorrow a full blown nuclear war were to start, with nuclear detonations occurring over the majority of land masses of the earth, it would be the cockroaches, not humans, that prove to be the most successful species, since humans aren't particularly well suited to environments with high levels of radioactivity. (not to mention that it would be humans themselves who caused the environmental change that leads to their demise, not the hallmark of an extremely successful species.) Furthermore, in terms of evolutionary success, it isn't humans that are the most successful organisms. I can think of at least two groups of organisms (insects and bacteria) that are much more successful than huamns in terms of their ability to propogate the species.


112 posted on 01/12/2005 9:33:18 AM PST by stremba
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To: stremba
The capacity to survive the total annihilation of the planet is only an evolutionary advantage if the planet is actually totally anihilated.

Just wait and see!

129 posted on 01/12/2005 9:50:33 AM PST by AntiGuv (™)
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