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"Ignorance is a plague."
Close, but the plague killed those infected with it, and the ignorant are still alive.
I wish ignorance was a plague.
Posted by: Gaara444
Maybe someone could shed some light on the subject since I'm not very knowledgeable. If Evolution is the process of a Species changing to fit into a new environment, if the environment is to harsh, wouldn't the species just die out before the change in the species can take place?
EDIT @ Harlow: It's not entirely a fact, it's a mix between Fact and Theory*.
*I have to keep putting that damn asterisk there to make sure people know that I mean Scientific Theory when I say just Theory.
In nature, different organisms are always competing for resources (food, water, sunlight, etc.) and not all of them will succeed in reproducing and passing on their genes. Genetic mutations and -blam!- recombination (animals receive genes from both parents) cause genetic diversity within a population so that not all of the animals are the same. If the environment changes, some of the individuals will be better suited for survival and will therefore be more likely to reproduce and pass on their genes. Over time, this means that the beneficial genes will become more common in the population (evolution).
Example: In a desert with dark rocks, there are mice. Hawks migrate to the region and start hunting mice. Some of the mice are darker than others and blend in better. This means that they will be more likely to survive and pass on their genes. Because of this, more dark mice are born. Over time (many generations), almost all of the mice become dark.
One of the common misconceptions about evolution is that adaptations gained during an individuals life are passed on (ie. giraffes got their long neck because they kept stretching to reach leaves). This is totally wrong.