35 Ways Evolution Is Proven All Around Us

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35 Ways Evolution Is Proven All Around Us

By Joe Burgett - September 16, 2019

7. The Tale of the Tardigrade

Likely the most indestructible beings known to mankind, the Tardigrade are rumored to be where multiple points of life originated. Yet they are also our only likely key to accessing full adaptation. Tardigrades are able to survive in quite literally any conditions they are exposed to. They can be frozen and upon thawing, then come back into moving life similar to Captain America. The Tardigrades have also proven they can last under nearly impossibly hot standards.

They were starved of normal food and liquid and still somehow stayed alive. These amazing evolutionary masterpieces also managed to survive in space, being exposed to cold temperatures and lack of oxygen. They survived it and even did so on Earth by being put underwater. It’s clear that when you need to find one of the ways evolution is proven, using the Tardigrade as an example is truly the best idea. The species are kings of evolution and adaptation.

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6. The Palmar Grip Reflex

While this particular thing is seen among monkeys and other primates today with their young, it’s still seen in human beings as well. We did come from the same background, after all. The Palmar Grip Reflex is left over from the time in which we were similar to the other primates. Babies had to hold on to their parents for their lives as they traveled among the trees often at incredibly fast speeds.

Our ancestors who, at this point, had tons of body hair capable of gripping. This reflex can be seen in the palms of newborns and even their toes today. Touching the palm causes them to grip tight while touching the foot causes their toes to curl. This primitive reflex can last all the way up to 6 months of age in human children. It can even allow them to be put onto monkey bars where they can grip and hold their own body weight. Amazing!

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5. How Doctors seem to avoid sicknesses

Have you ever wondered how Doctors can see sick people constantly yet somehow they rarely if ever, get sick themselves? It does not start out this way for them. Often, Doctors start as Residents and work in other Doctor’s offices or hospitals. In Hospitals, they often work on rotation among the several branches they have. Every Doctor will tell you that working in the children’s wing will get them sicker than they ever thought possible on a constant basis.

This is due to children often being germ-infested nightmares. This is at no fault of their own, but things like this prepare Doctors for when they go into their careers. In one of the coolest ways evolution is proven, these Doctors develop an antioxidant called Glutathione. It is a protector of cells, resulting in Doctors being able to fight off sicknesses easier. Thus, protecting them in their chosen profession.

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4. Our ability to handle Ultraviolet Radiation

Ultraviolet Radiation is unlike all the other types of radiation we deal with on a regular basis. We actually do run into radiation on a regular basis via things like CT Scans, MRIs, and even X-Rays. All are low forms of it but still exist. Meanwhile, the biggest radiation we deal with is, well, the sun. UV Radiation comes right from that big ball of fire that heats the Earth.

The way we handle UV radiation with Melanin. For those unaware, Melanin handles things like the darkness of our skin, hair, and even the iris of our eyes. Melanin is a natural fighter of the sun, allowing things to get darker and lighter to fight off the sun’s rays. In fact, Melanin is the reason people tan when they go outside during the summer. Melanin naturally absorbs the sun’s impact, protecting the cells from damage. It does not do everything, so sunscreen is a must!

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3. The reason you’re Black, White, Yellow, or Brown

Speaking of Melanin, the way your skin looks began thousands of years ago and it’s one of the most amazing ways evolution is proven in our bodies to this day! Remember, Melanin is a natural protector and darkens the skin when we’re tanning as a way to protect you from the sun. All of this is due to absorbing it. While it makes sense to us that darker things are hotter when absorbing the sun, the skin needs to be darker to fight it.

The hotter a place is, the more likely the natives to that area will be darker. This is why the Middle East has several brown people yet when you go to the United Kingdom, white people can be seen all over. Centuries ago, at some point, humanity split up with some going lower into the Middle East, Africa, and the rest of Asia. Meanwhile, others went toward the northern sector to places like Norway, Russia, and England. All are notably whiter nations for obvious reasons. We evolved to fit our territory.

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2. The Human ability to consume Milk

When we’re babies, we consume milk quite often. This is either from formula or our mother’s breast(s), of course. Yet as we age, we eventually stop drinking milk and therefore stop producing lactase. This is the enzyme needed to break down lactose products well. That includes things like Milk, Cheese, Butter, Yogurt, and much more. Around 10,000 years ago, however, we began to domesticate animals like cattle.

We then began drinking the milk they produced, even using it for other products. Eventually, a mutation to the Lactase Gene allowed people to break down the contents but nearly 80% of the world is still Lactose Intolerant today. Yet we’re still able to eat or drink these products because of the random mutation. People may still get gassy or have an upset stomach from them, especially with overconsumption, but we no longer die from consuming it all due to this major evolutionary change.

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1. Growing from a Child into an Adult

Centuries ago, we aged a bit differently due to living smaller periods of time. This speed at which life started and ended was rapid. This is why women grow up faster and stop growing by their mid-teenage years. They were needed to bring new life to a family. A girl at age 12 can actually have children, however, the youngest girl to give birth on record was only 5 years old. Boys grow slower but this is due to their specific needs for growth.

Both experience hormone changes but women experience a lot more at a faster rate, so give that teen girl crying for no reason a break next time. Boys grow slower and stop growing by their early 20s physically. The reason for this was due to the need for young men to always adapt their development to the environment they are in. On top of this, today we grow up slightly slower than we did back then. We even show our age later, which is why some can look much younger than they truly are.

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