Behold the Evolutionary 'Tree of Life'
Originally shared by Eli Fennell
Behold the Evolutionary 'Tree of Life'
Researchers from 11 different organizations have brought together everything we know about the evolutionary history of life on Earth to create an 'Tree of Life', mapping the known evolutionary history of over 2mn species.
You'll note that the 'Tree' isn't really shaped like a tree at all, but is rather a circle. This is because, rather than a linear succession of one species becoming and being replaced by others, life begins with a common ancestor but from there branches out in many different directions, and everything alive today, however much or little has changed over time, has been evolving as long as everything else.
In addition, the evolution of one species doesn't always mean the end of another, so it isn't as simple as one species giving way to another. Separate one group of primates by geography into two groups, for example, and over time one may remain largely unchanged, while the other may become human during that same period, depending on the differences in the selective pressures each group faced; indeed, something exactly like this happened within our own evolutionary history.
The 'Circle of Life' is a metaphor often used to describe the interconnectedness of all life on Earth, and it's interesting to consider how the history of life itself, represented graphically in this case, somewhat reaffirms this sentimental concept. We truly are all connected. We all grew up together in the same neighborhood, so to speak.
#TreeofLife #Evolution #Science
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0920/Scientists-create-the-first-digital-tree-of-life
Behold the Evolutionary 'Tree of Life'
Researchers from 11 different organizations have brought together everything we know about the evolutionary history of life on Earth to create an 'Tree of Life', mapping the known evolutionary history of over 2mn species.
You'll note that the 'Tree' isn't really shaped like a tree at all, but is rather a circle. This is because, rather than a linear succession of one species becoming and being replaced by others, life begins with a common ancestor but from there branches out in many different directions, and everything alive today, however much or little has changed over time, has been evolving as long as everything else.
In addition, the evolution of one species doesn't always mean the end of another, so it isn't as simple as one species giving way to another. Separate one group of primates by geography into two groups, for example, and over time one may remain largely unchanged, while the other may become human during that same period, depending on the differences in the selective pressures each group faced; indeed, something exactly like this happened within our own evolutionary history.
The 'Circle of Life' is a metaphor often used to describe the interconnectedness of all life on Earth, and it's interesting to consider how the history of life itself, represented graphically in this case, somewhat reaffirms this sentimental concept. We truly are all connected. We all grew up together in the same neighborhood, so to speak.
#TreeofLife #Evolution #Science
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0920/Scientists-create-the-first-digital-tree-of-life
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