The Evolution of Adaptation
Adaptation means more than changing to fit more cohesively to the surroundings. Without adaptation in every constant stage of life on the planet biological and social, mankind would be living in a very monotonous world. Whether evolution or creation some form of adaptation must have occurred and continues to occur. Mankind is an ever changing species and must find a logical way to thrive in the world that is presented. An analysis of nonfictional literature is able to show an assessment of what adaptation really means through an illustration of the necessity for adaptation.
Before the emergence of mankind, the earth was little more than barren deserts and motionless seas. Loren Eisely’s essay, “How Flowers Changed the World” tells us that something extraordinary, however, happened during the Cretaceous period. “A soundless violent explosion,” occurred that forever changed the way of life on the planet (Eisely 85). Angiosperms, or flowering plants, were born after life had found a way to pollinate without the help of water. This new development in earth’s history provided shelter, food, and the necessities needed for hibernation (Eisely 84-9). What Eisely stats is simple; the fertilization of plants adapted to what was provided and found a new way to reproduce. Consequently, this adaptation opened up the door for many new developments to happen. If angiosperms had not emerged, then smaller organisms such as woodchucks would have never made it as far as they did (Eisely 86). Animals with a higher metabolic rate were able to store up on the vegetation which allowed them to survive hibernation where they became comatose. The plants that were much smaller than the giant trees covering the planet provided shelter for the smaller creatures inhabiting the planet. Had these plants not adapted to their surroundings then it is easy to speculate that the planet would still be ruled by giants. These angiosperms adapted and gave way for new life.
In “The Way to Rainy Mountain” by N. Scott Momaday however, new life was not easy for the Kiowas to find. After making the pilgrimage from the mountains to the Plains they had to adapt to a completely different way of living. The Crows gave the Kiowas new culture, new religion, and taught them about horses. Once the Kiowa people adapted and learned how to survive in this new place they became a force to be reckoned with. Although they were able to change so that they could survive they were far from done. In order to stay alive and keep their culture living the Kiowas surrendered to Fort Sill soldiers when the U.S. was attempting to secure land from the Native Americans (Momaday 91). Had the Kiowas been unable or unwilling to adapt to the Plains and the new culture and religion the Crow people game them their life and culture would have been threatened and very possibly lost. The same theory can be applied to when the soldiers captured them. If the Kiowas hadn’t surrendered they would have been slaughtered. Once they had been released they had to adapt once again because not only the land, but the cultures and society was changing rapidly. They had no choice but to adapt and find their new place in the new society.
Michael Pollan faced a similar adaption to society in his essay “Why Mow? The Case Against Lawns.” He found himself in a culture that prized conformity in the suburbs of America, especially when it came to lawn care. He found himself in a monotonous routine every weekend of mowing his lawn. In order to adapt to society’s image of America and what it should look like, he took to gardening in the back yard, while keeping up with the regulations in the front (Pollan 56-64). Adaptation in this way saved Pollan from becoming stuck in a conformist life where he fit himself to the rules of those around him. He was able to take a very monotonous task every weekend and turn it into something productive. America is a land of conformity whether it is visible or not. Unless the soul can find what is holding it back from expressing the true self and adapt to that, making life conform to nothing but the wishes of the holder, a person’s life will become boring and monotonous. Life, culture, and society are all in a never ending circle of adaptation that must be explored and found in order to survive.
The end of life and the consequences for the inability to adapt can be linked to Steven Jay Gould’s “Sex, Drugs, Disasters, and the Extinction of Dinosaurs.” Without the ability to adapt to surroundings, much like the dinosaurs, life must perish. The dinosaurs are an excellent example, while many theories are out there as to what caused their demise the fact remains that the monstrosities of prehistoric times were not able to adapt to the world around that was changing and the species was lost forever. Gould discussed the three main theories as to why the dinosaurs became extinct. When the climate’s temperature raised the reproductive organs of dinosaurs stopped working which led to the in-fertilization of males and thus the extinction of the species. The second was due to a massive overdose of plants that contained chemicals that their bodies could not purify. The last theory is the most commonly know, and that is the comet that created a huge dust cloud that blocked out the sun, killing all life on the planet (Gould 409-15). Had the dinosaurs been able to adapt to any of the three theories the world might still have them today, walking around somewhere, however they were not able to change their bodies to fit the world that was drastically changing around them leading to their death. The world is in a continuous circle of adaptation and life has the choice to either adapt and live on or die.
Unquestionably the continuous circle of adaptation can easily be explored in “The Obligation to Endure” by Rachel Carson. Over 500 new chemicals are created every year, and 200 new base chemicals are created for the sole purpose of destroying pests that society deems undesirable. It started when the pests became too much for Americans to handle so chemical based insecticides were created for their destruction. However, the pests were able to adapt to these chemicals rendering them ineffective. Man retaliated and created something more deadly for the destruction of their enemy, but once again, the pests fought back and outsmarted the chemicals. (Carson 49-55). While America might not like constantly adapting to pests that are ever present in gardens and crops of the nation, the country is locked in a never ending circle of adaptation. It shows that adaptation is an ever constant factor in life; not only to pests and the development of insecticides, but every aspect of life. Without the ability to adapt, the pests would have over run the nation and the crops of America farmlands would have suffered tremendously.
Without the ability to adapt to ever changing variables and a wide variety of factors life will forever be stuck in a monotonous rotation of life and death. If man, animal, and plants cannot learn to adapt, then the species will die just like the dinosaurs. Life today will be nothing more than a memory written down in a text book that children learn about and explore in school. Adaptation is as ever present as the o-zone layer, global warming, or famine, whether it is realized or not. Mankind needs to realize what is happening to the world around, and find a way to cope, to change in order to survive.
Works Cited
Carson, Rachel. “The Obligation to Endure.” Writing on the River; an Anthology at Composition I at Chattanooga State Community College
Eisely, Loren. “How Flowers Changed the World.” Writing on the River; an Anthology for Composition I at Chattanooga State Community College
Gould, Steven Jay. “Sex, Drugs, Disasters, and the Extinction of Dinosaurs.” Writing on the River; an Anthology for Composition I at Chattanooga State Community College
Momaday, Scott N. “The Way to Rainy Mountain.” Writing on the River; an Anthology for Composition I at Chattanooga State Community College. Second Edition. Ed. The English Faculty and Staff of Chattanooga State Community College. Boston; McGraw-Hill, 2009. 90 – 94. Print.
Pollan, Michael. “Why Mow? The Case Against Lawns.” Writing on the River; an Anthology for Composition I at Chattanooga State Community College. Second Edition. Ed. The English Faculty and Staff of Chattanooga State Community College. Boston; McGraw-Hill, 2009. 56-64.Print.
