Another Step Towards Proving Evolution
Breaking news shows that researchers may have discovered the mutation that caused early humans to evolve from apes. Biologists and plastic surgeons at the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia were the first to report the discovery of this mutation. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, these scientists believe that this mutation formed a gene that led to smaller, weaker jaws and bigger brains. A mutation is a change in an organism’s genetic material. Because of the smaller jaws, the structure of the skull changed, leading to the ability of growth in the brain that was capable of doing more. Dr. Hensall Stedman of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine stated that the brain has tripled in size since the mutation. They estimated that the mutation occurred about 2.4 million years ago in the grasslands of East Africa, and based their calculations on the belief that genetic mutations occur at a constant rate. It was around this time when humans featured rounder skulls, flatter faces, smaller teeth, and weaker jaws. People at this time also began making their food with tools. Researchers have looked at fossil records to determine this time of change.
tionary research since Charles Darwin. His theory of evolution by natural selection includes the ideas of genetic variation, environmental pressures, and lots of offspring. He was born in Shrewsbury, England on February 12, 1802 and died on April 19, 1882. Darwin was one of the originators of the idea of natural selection and was the first of the evolutionary biologists. He came out with a book called The Origin of the Species in 1859 where he explained his take on evolution by natural selection. This book is recognized as the leading work in natural philosophy and the history of mankind. This introduced much controversy which still exists today. His theory of natural selection works as follows. Variations occur in every population. Individuals born with stronger characteristics have advantages over those who don’t carry these characteristics and begin to rise above. The individuals with the stronger traits pass them on to their offspring and their offspring carry the advantages and then pass them on to their offspring. As these traits are being passed along, the surrounding environment gradually changes and it favors the individuals with the stronger traits. They do better, live longer, and produce offspring with these same traits. Eventually, the population will change and become a new species. (Strange Science: Charles Darwin. www.strangescience.net) I believe that even though this discovery of the mutation may not fully explain evolution, it may be a huge
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