Life on Earth is said by science to have begun some 3.5 billion years ago. During those initial years, bacteria continually transformed the Earth's surface and atmosphere, its temperature and chemical composition. In the process, life's essential facilities of respiration, photosynthesis, motion, and fermentation became established.
Remarkably, in spite of an estimated 25% increase in the Sun's heat over the years, the Earth's surface temperature has remained hospitable for life. Through subtle cooperation, the various lines of bacterial life prevailed. The global trading of their genes (DNA recombination) is said to have arisen. This is one of the most astonishing discoveries of modern biology.
Moreover, it was discovered only recently that the mitochondria within cells carry their own genetic material. They replicate independent of the host cell. Lynn Margulis gradual came to realize that "unruly genes" such as these were, in fact, distinct living organisms that could be traced back to bacterial forefathers. Talk about recycling! The waste of one cell constituent became the food for another. The cell on the whole generally without waste.
So one can see the driving force in evolution shifting to co-evolution. The drama proceeds through a subtle interplay of competition and cooperation, creation and mutual adaptation.
8 comments:
Yes, and we can see a kind of symbiosis in various types of human interdependency too. I try to remind myself of this when i see ugly buildings, TV adverts, exploitation which seems unfair. There is no leader without the led, no led without the leader.
All these wonderful patterns "work" most of the time. None of them is without defects.
This business of mitochondria. I would like to know more, but not too much more, if you know what i mean. Enough to be layman-educated on the topic. Perhaps you would be able to dedicate a post to it?
Yes, and just watch what happens when the power goes out to see how interdependent modern society has become.
Regarding the business of mitochondria, I used Lynn Margulis' Symbiotic Planet:A New Look at Evolution as my resource.
I don't know how you feel about wikipedia, but they kind of sum it up here.
I guess in a way the universe as a whole is always in symbiosis or at least some kind of balance. As long as it's there at all, there must be (so to speak) some kind of equilibrium, even though it's always a dynamic and changing one. Unless this is just the equilibrium of tautology talking. But then I couldn't do it if the whole universe weren't behind it...
I had much the same reflection when mining this little nugget.
The process of natural selection has taken wrong turns in the past and has rectified itself, it may take millions of years though. The giant reptiles for instance. They were forced to eat their own offsprings which resulted in their extinction 65 million years ago.
Now i really wonder if we humans are a wrong turn of the process of evolution and facing extinction.
Mother earth heals itself.
i have written a series on the environment few months ago
Thanks for visiting rauf. I'm interested in your posts on the environment. I briefly visited your blog and was fascinated by the pottery photos and glimpse of India. Your comments there reminded me of my own recent musings about a world that will never be the same.
RAUF, I've had a similar thought - it creeps me out! Lately I wonder if "from a distance," as the song says, we're starting to look like some kind of earth-infestation. We really need to start getting in balance with the planet or the balance is bound to end up being restored at our expense...
Very interesting topic and so true, perhaps this is how every species survive and to strike a balance.
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