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The Human Race Will Never Reach Its ‘Peak’ in Evolution
And that is as inspiring as it is humbling
There is no such thing as the ‘pinnacle’ of evolution. Humans are still evolving, just like everything else
It was during a morning lecture, whilst studying for my undergraduate degree in biology, that my tutor said something that has stayed with me ever since.
It was something like this:
Humans are not ‘more evolved’ than any other organism on earth. That parasitic worm is just as ‘evolved’ as you: it will go on to reproduce and pass on its genes. That, in the end, is all evolution ‘cares’ about.
Ah, evolution, the great leveller. We often talk about the human race being more ‘advanced’ in terms of technology, communication and other achievements — this is true, of course. Advances in technology in medicine and technology have improved countless lives and are something, that we, as a species should be proud of. It’s a sobering reminder, however, that we are not, however, the dominant species on earth — a biologist might argue that bacteria, plants, and even ‘dung beetles’ have a greater impact on the global ecosystem, and therefore represent the most ‘successful’ species on this planet.
