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The notion that organisms adapt when faced with changes in their environment isn't new. However, recent research indicates that the mechanism of this evolutionary adaptation also undergoes its own form of development over time. The "evolvability" of evolution It remains a contentious idea partly due to the challenge of quantifying it. Organisms generally adjust to their surroundings; as an illustration, certain bacteria swiftly develop antibiotic resistance. However, could the evolutionary process itself be evolving, and if yes, what might propel such changes in how evolution occurs? In a recent paper published on December 31, 2024, in the journal PNAS Biologists indicate that evolution may improve with time through “refinement” of a population’s reaction to environmental shifts—provided these alterations do not occur too swiftly, according to the researchers involved in the study. Life is exceptionally skilled at tackling issues, Luis Zaman An evolutio...

Modern humans ( Homo sapiens They are the only remaining representatives of the human family tree , yet we stand as the final chapter in an evolutionary narrative that started about 6 million years ago and gave rise to at least 18 distinct species broadly categorized as hominins. There were a minimum of nine. Homo species — including H. sapiens — spread across Africa, Europe, and Asia by approximately 300,000 years ago, as per the information from the Smithsonian Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History In Washington, D.C., one by one, all except H. sapiens disappeared. Neanderthals and a Homo group known as the Denisovans lived alongside H. sapiens For millennia, they coexisted and even intermingled, with traces of their genetic material still present in numerous individuals today. However, ultimately, both the Denisovans and Neanderthals disappeared from the scene. Around 40,000 years ago, this decline was largely co...