Speaking of Evolution

Though it’s not a new species, here is an example of environmental stresses (if you can call poaching an environmental stress) affecting characteristics of a population over a relatively short period of time.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/22/africa/elephants-tusks-poaching-evolution-scn/index.html

My heart aches.

This magnificent creature evolved to survive over millions of years of exquisite adaption to a variety of environments, with three species inhabiting different parts of the globe in a tour de force of evolution.

These highly intelligent mammals are a reminder of ancient times of the Mammoths and Mastodons and the early humans.

Humans lived alongside woolly mammoths for at least 2,000 years —they were even around when the pyramids were being built. … Precipitation was the cause of the extinction of woolly mammoths through the changes to plants. The change happened so quickly that they could not adapt and evolve to survive. 2 days ago
Humans did not cause woolly mammoths to go extinct—climate change did: study

But modern humans will most likely be the cause for the extinction of the entire species. A testament of human evolution in the wrong direction.

p.s. Elephants love music!

It was interesting to note that tuskless females can survive, but tuskless males die in the womb.

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This thread has taken a turn towards depressing. :sob:

To our everlasting shame, our disrespect of nature and its wondrous creations is just plain criminal.

On a more upbeat note, there are some people who love nature and this little adventure of an infant elephant which had fallen in a ditch and was unable to climb out until a group of saviors helped it out.

And watch the “thank you” from it’s mother as the family returns to the jungle.

Humans are the most destructive and dangerous animals on the planet earth, yet we are also (supposedly) some of the most intelligent. This does not excuse our behaviour. It’s just a fact. The thing is, we also have the intelligence to stop this behaviour. The other thing is, elephants and dolphins are also very intelligent and far less destructive than humans, as well as less dangerous. Yes, there is that rogue elephant, but stats show humans are worse.

Now that is established, why don’t we discuss how to change these human behaviours? This change is a form of evolution and could possibly be a means for the human species to survive and thereby allowing other animals to survive too.

Thanks for trying to bring this thread back from the dark side.

We know other animals have language, but I’ll posit that our ability to communicate is beyond all of them. Unless, there is a sort of Femi’s paradox right here on earth, the theory that there is intelligent life in the universe, but they are hiding from us. Anyway, our communication leads to grandparents caring about their grandchildren and passing along whatever they can.

Whenever I get the chance, whenever someone is listening, which ain’t often, I try to say something about giving every living thing the chance to have a little free time, time to reflect on their experience and form their thoughts into something coherent. Anything that can communicate, has something to say, something that no one else can match, a unique perspective.

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Just ran across this and this is a must see for anyone interested in cosmic evolution by natural selection.