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

30. HIV-resistant gene mutation

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is horrible despite the amazing medications currently present for it. The disease originated in chimpanzees somewhere in Western Africa and ended up transferring to humans as we hunted these creatures down for meat and ate them. This is why HIV is transferable both sexually and via blood. Yet some happen to be resistant to it.

Studies went into this and found that a gene mutation known as “CCR5-delta 32” can be found in some human beings today and it makes them naturally resilient to the HIV Virus. Without HIV, AIDS also cannot happen in these people either. Scientists were able to trace this back over 700 years to the time of the Black Plague. They were able to uncover that those with this gene could have likely survived the plague and passed on this gene to their offspring.

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29. Some animals evolve to be blind in order to develop other key traits

Somehow, certain animals ended up in areas where they were in total and complete darkness. They are often found in caves where they have no way of escaping. They had to make the most of their new home and showed us ways evolution is proven through them. There are two such creatures that ended up in this situation and are now completely blind. One is the Olm, which is a completely aquatic salamander.

Due to the darkness, they’re in, their eyes are formed but never develop into eyesight, rendering them blind. They are able to use other traits to their advantage, such as increased hearing and even live incredibly long. The Mexican Cavefish is also blind yet due to the lack of food it gets, the fish developed starvation resistance instead of proper eyesight. They do this with melanocortin too, which allows them to eat unlimited amounts of food when it is present. Almost like a beat before hibernation.

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28. Flatfish one-sided eyes

There are numerous types of flatfish in the ocean. The types that fall under this are the flounder, halibut, sole, and many others. You’ll notice a key thing most possess, both eyes on one side of their body. The question is, why in the world would this even be useful to them? Technically, this seems like a drop where evolution went the wrong way.

Yet in one of the key ways evolution is proven to us here, flatfish actually use this development to their advantage. They evolved to have both eyes on one side so that the other side could be on the ocean floor. This allows them to hide without predators seeing them with ease and even helps them surprise attack prey for food as a hunting technique. This eye transition of theirs actually begins while the flatfish is young. One eye slowly moves up and finally over the top of the head.

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27. The long neck of Giraffes

We all know and love Giraffes, right? They are some of the most incredible animals in the world. In fact, when a Giraffe is born, they literally fall out of a standing mother Giraffe. Seriously, they are dropped out upon birth. On top of this, the baby Giraffe will begin to take their first steps 30 minutes to an hour after they’re born too! It’s absolutely incredible to observe. As the babies grow, their entire body grows into itself and their necks end up getting quite a bit longer.

They are born with a long neck in place. However, as they grow into their full size, the neck ends up getting longer and eventually thicker. The neck originally evolved to help Giraffes reach vegetation in high trees. Yet the necks were eventually used for combat purposes as well. Females grow up to 14 feet and 1,500lbs while males grow up to 18 feet and 3,000lbs. The male neck uses some of this extra weight and gets thicker, allowing it to be used as their key weapon.

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26. Are Skinks becoming more like their Snake Cousin?

In Australia, there are interesting lizards known as three-toed skinks. They are easy to mistake for a snake due to the way they often look, which is even similar to that of legless lizards. Both are part of the Anoles family but only one has dropped its arms and legs completely. The Skink still has its arms and legs but they are incredibly small. The skink itself first started a process of change about 3.6 million years ago.

One of the ways evolution is proven through skinks is that their arms and legs were much larger and well-defined. They have gotten smaller and their overall lifestyle has made them useless to the skink. They spend a large portion of their time swimming through sand or soil. The thought is that it may just take a few more evolutionary cycles for them to rid themselves of their hindering arms and legs like their legless cousin.

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25. Development of Blue Eyes

It’s quite likely that you or someone you know has blue eyes. In fact, it’s relatively common to see eyes of all colors including some that have a mix of two colors. This is actually an evolutionary change that began around 6,000 to 10,000 years ago from one ancient ancestor. This gene mutation and abnormality originated in our ancestors and managed to pass on years later.

This means anyone with blue eyes is likely related to this one person, in some way. The way it works is through a mutation affecting the OCA2 gene. This gene somehow codes the protein needed for producing melanin. For those unaware, melanin gives our skin, hair, and eyes their color. The mutation limited the melanin within the iris, effectively diluting the eye color from normal brown to blue.

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24. Missing the Wisdom Teeth

You may not realize it, but wisdom teeth are used to serve a major purpose. The main asset they had was that they assisted us in chewing relatively tough food. However, no one really liked this so whenever we were able to get softer foods into our main diet, we did so. Sadly, this caused our jaw muscles to simply not grow to be as strong as they used to be. As a result, wisdom teeth stayed beneath the gums and increased our changed of a painful or even deadly infection from the teeth.

Yet one of the ways evolution is proven to us today is that we may not need a dentist to pull wisdom teeth out of our mouths much longer. A random mutation came about a few thousand years ago that prevented them from growing at all. Today, 1 in 4 people are born missing at least one or more wisdom teeth. Funny enough, Inuit people in places like Greenland and Canada are the most common people to be missing one or all wisdom teeth. This is in spite of their often rougher diets.

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23. Male Nipples

Isn’t it weird how men have nipples when they have not served a purpose for any real reason in thousands of years? For women, they clearly make sense. They supply milk to their children, which obviously allows babies to get incredibly needed nutrients that help them stay alive. The question is, why do men still develop them if they serve no true purpose? Technically, Estrogen and babies are the major reason behind this.

During the early stages of development inside the mother’s womb, a male child will come in contact with Estrogen, causing nipples to form. It’s based completely on the activity of X chromosomes at this stage. Then the Y chromosome kicks in for the male genes to form within the child. This kills off the formation of breasts in the eventual male child. However, some males can lactate. This technically means men still develop nipples to assist women in breastfeeding and the prevention of starvation.

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22. Plica Semilunaris use in humans today

Isn’t it weird to see that little bit of pink flesh-like stuff in the corner of your eye? What the heck is that for anyway? Today, it seems to be one of the coolest ways evolution is proven. In humans, this particular part of our eyes remains with us from something we used to fully develop called “a nictitating membrane.” Technically, it was like a third eyelid. Today, you see this eyelid develop in other mammals as well as birds, amphibians, and fish.

It essentially covers the eye horizontally, and it’s often clear or translucent. This allowed us to see underwater and even manage to see well in strong winds. Our eyes were covered with this membrane and it’s quite obvious that it would be of use to us today, so why don’t we form it like before? It still develops but the role merely changed. It stops growing completely around the eye and remains in the corner to prevent anything from getting inside the eye itself.

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21. Malaria Resistance gene

Malaria is responsible for thousands of deaths in Africa annually. It’s one of mankind’s oldest diseases and one we simply cannot seem to eradicate, as hard as we try. Yet it does seem like we may one day be capable of doing this. During the 1940s and 50s, scientists J.B.S. Haldane & A.C. Allison were able to find that the sickle-cell mutation known as Glu6Val in the beta hemoglobin gene, HBB, proved to be resistant to malaria.

More mutations in the HBB have come along showing resistance to malaria too. Populations play a part in this and show one of the ways evolution is proven in humans today. Some have a mutated Duffy antigen gene (FY). The FY is a membrane protein used by the Plasmodium Vivax malaria parasite to access the red blood cells. The FY mutation stops things at the access point, preventing malaria from starting up. This trait is seen in 100% of cases for people in Sub-Saharan Africa, but nowhere else.

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20. Look at those Goosebumps!

We all have had Goosebumps pop up on our bodies at some point in our lives. Often, people get them due to being scared or excited but more often than not, they pop up when we’re cold. The way this happens is through something called the Arrector Pili flex, a process our muscles start within the skin. This was actually something that remained throughout our evolutionary process. When we were growing into the humans we’d one day become, we were actually covered in a ton of body hair.

Both men and women had this issue. We eventually dropped a large part of this hair, but a lot still remains. Just look at your sink or tub drain, people! Goosebumps used to work in us as a protective device. They used to make our hair stand on end, making us look bigger to a possible predator. The hair would also serve to warm us when cold. This is why even our thinner hair still stands a bit while Goosebumps pop up. Yet we can see the bumps, proving they do not work like they used to.

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19. The Coccyx formation is an odd one

The Coccyx, known today mostly as the tailbone, happens to be the end of your vertebrae. It’s actually the home of where our tails used to be too. Just about every mammal on Earth had a tail at some point in their evolutionary history. Even today, some humans actually grow a version of a tail. This ultimately proves that all humanoids had them at some point.

In fact, during the 14 to 22-week stages of human embryogenesis, you can actually view a child inside the mother’s womb and notice a tail-like formation. It’s eventually absorbed by most of us, except for those that were referred to earlier. To most, this is one of the coolest ways evolution is proven. This viewable formation of a child shows, somewhat, a process of humans from their ancestral state into their current form, all in nine months.

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18. Breathing in High-Altitude

Have you ever wondered how some people seem to be capable of living on mountains? A few people stand out as genetic marvels when you consider this, and none of them has to do with those from Denver, Colorado. The two major groups of people are the Sherpas & overall Tibetans from the Himalayas. Both operate as guides for mountain climbers who wish to climb any of the mountains in the Himalayan region, especially Mount Everest.

These people have managed to operate without any issues in these mountains, despite low oxygen levels. In one of the ways evolution is proven, scientists found that the Tibetans produce more oxygen-transporting hemoglobin protein than an average person. It’s actually a mutation within these people believed to have started around 3,000 years ago, possibly longer! Though being a guide up here is still the most dangerous job on the planet, regardless of how you handle breathing.

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17. Sweating Process

Our process of sweating may not seem like one of the ways evolution is proven to the world, but it actually is. For the longest time, this process was not actually part of our system. Today, we do! The question is, why do we sweat? The quick answer is that we do it to regulate our body temperature. Usually, we sweat when we’re hot so water within us comes out to cool us down so we don’t overheat.

When we do not sweat despite the overheating, this can be the start of Heat Stroke. Sweating also dehydrates a person, so it’s best to wear long-sleeved clothing to catch all the water you’re losing. We can also breathe while running and sweating, unlike other animals that pant to cool down and cannot run during this process. This allows us to chase animals and kill them easier once they tire out. It’s an evolutionary edge we have over most creatures, only animals like horses can do this too.

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16. Dog Barks

We often call dogs “man’s best friend.” The reason for this is pretty compelling and goes back around 10,000 years ago when humans first domesticated dogs. Man and Dog have been connected ever since, which could be why dog barking has become such an annoying yet an also helpful thing for humans. Why is this? Dogs love their owners so much that they’ll often fight to keep them safe.

Some dogs have pulled people out of burning buildings while others even stay by an owner’s bedside as protectors while their human was sick or dying. While dogs don’t speak in an active language we can understand, we have learned the distinction between barks. Dogs know how to bark at warning or danger points as well as communication barking. We’re then able to determine the difference. This is actually evolutionary and developed over the thousands of years we’ve been with them.

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15. Sea Slugs steal to add to their DNA

While Sea Slugs may not stand out as massively evolving beings, they are animals that can show us several ways evolution is proven science. The way they are able to do this is through their absolutely amazing ability to adapt. When food is running short in the cold coastal waters they are native to, they steal DNA from the algae they consume. This allows them to develop genes that allow them to live off of only sunlight, along with the use of chloroplasts.

Their food is literally consumed and they take their DNA like it’s nothing and then pass it on to their offspring! While the next generation of slugs will come with this algae gene, they’ll just need chloroplasts to keep things working. This all happens through something known as Horizontal Gene Transfer, which skates around normal evolutionary traits by up to millions of years. As of now, the Sea Slugs are the only multicellular organisms capable of this… that we know of.

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14. The Archaeopteryx Fossil

When you’re talking about finding ways evolution is proven, it’s pretty easy to start and end with the Archaeopteryx fossil. In fact, Charles Darwin himself would have included this in his Natural Selection writing but it was found right after his book was published. Found in 1860 in Germany, it shows the smoking gun regarding non-avian dinosaurs becoming birds.

The fossil was able to catch the transitional form of this occurrence, literally catching the in-between stage a creature was in from non-avian dinosaur to bird. Most transitional fossils found long-feathered tails and small teeth but the Archaeopteryx fossil showed full flight feathers and wings like a modern bird. The ability to find the furcula (fused cervical bone), was a form of confirmation dinosaurs and birds had a clear connection as only two groups have the furcula. That’s dinos and birds.

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13. Penguins and Evolution in Reverse

Most people see the average Penguin and wonder why we’d ever see a penguin develop wings that it simply cannot use. Yet beforehand, Penguins actually could fly and those wings were used for that exact purpose. However, in one of the most bizarre ways evolution is proven to us through penguins, they became flightless for a key reason. Penguins typically waddle when walking so they often slide around from place to place on their stomach region to move quicker.

This is smooth enough, just like their entire body, to move about without any real issues. This same skin/feathering allows them to glide through the water with ease too. However, their wings once used for flight are now made specifically for them to use as key aides to their movement and speed in the water. Flight capability was no longer evolutionary necessary to Penguins while speed in the water simply was, which is why the change happened.

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12. Human Brains Have Shrunk

Oftentimes, when we call someone or another species unintelligent, we typically wonder if their brain is merely smaller than it should be. Words like “pea brain” are thrown around as insults even! Yet the funniest part of this is that most human brains are the same size and all of us have smaller brains than humans used to have. Seriously, our brains have been slowly shrinking for more than 20,000 years thus far.

The total change in that time is reportedly the size of a tennis ball in adult males according to scientists. This does not mean we’re getting dumber, however, far from it! The standing theory is that humans rely on certain structures of the brain to help us get by, so the extra space is not as needed as it used to be. This could also result in smaller heads over time too. Heck, even animals like dogs and cats have experienced this same thing.

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11. Pakicetus Fossil proved Whales walked on land

We all know that whales are actually mammals just like us, so it probably should not come as a big surprise that they once walked on land. For some time, this was not possible to prove even if it made sense to consider. Then, the Pakicetus Fossil showed up to literally shock the world, becoming one of the key ways evolution is proven in classrooms all over the world. The Pakicetus happens to be the creature whales evolved from, living during the Eocene period around 50 million years ago.

It lived on land and developed a unique inner ear shape still only seen in whales today called the “auditory bulla.” The Pakicetus Fossil, discovered in Pakistan, connects specifically to the Humpback whale species. Other fossils show when land whales turned into the aquatic life they have today, such as the Ambulocetus & Remingtonocetus fossils. The Basilosaurid creatures became the first known fully aquatic whale species.

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10. Why do Birds no longer have teeth

Have you ever wondered why birds seem to have beaks but they just rarely have teeth? This is by design and happens to be one of the main key ways evolution is proven regarding dinosaurs. As mentioned earlier, dinosaurs left their dino form and eventually evolved into birds. There are some birds that have distinct similarities to dinosaurs from millions of years ago. Yet one of the key things missing from all birds is teeth.

This is an evolutionary trait that went into reverse to many but the lack of teeth happened for key reasons. First and foremost, the food their newly bird bodies went for was rarely in need of thick, sharp teeth. Their beaks became weapons as well, often acting as a form of teeth that got the job done. Essentially, teeth were no longer useful while harder, thicker beaks were. Teeth basically dropped out in favor of beaks.

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9. Our ability to drink Alcohol and not die

For all true reasoning, humans should not be able to drink alcoholic products. Yet this is exactly what we’ve done for thousands of years. The original reasoning for this was that water was often too contaminated to drink, yet juices from fruits and whatnot were actually very good. Some of these drinks had naturally alcoholic content while others added it later. It resulted in alcoholic content being a mainstay.

Even Christian churches had services where red wine was served to represent Jesus’ blood. How were we able to survive this alcohol exposure? Simple, we adapted. One of the most interesting ways evolution is proven to humans is via the enzymes we developed known as Dehydrogenase (ADH) and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH). They break apart alcohol, allowing it to filter out into our urine, and then we completely remove it once we use the restroom.

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8. Antibiotic Resistance

When we’re young, antibiotics can be given to us at very early stages now. Often, small doses can be distributed to remove infections we might have. As we age, higher doses are given for longer periods to remove infections. At the end of the day, we’re still often needing to increase strength or time of use. This is due to how our bodies adapt to antibiotics. However, in one of the most horrific ways evolution is proven through the human body, we’re now starting to resist several antibiotics.

This is causing people to be on far higher (and slightly unsafe) versions of antibiotics while some don’t work at all. The reason for this seems to be over-exposure. People tend to take antibiotics for the slightest thing, like colds or viruses, assuming they’ll work. Yet they do not treat this type of thing at all. People then assume taking them as a precaution is fine but it’s actually not honestly. Our bodies adapt to these foreign substances, causing many not to work.

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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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