Artificial Natural Selection 1
Jessica Martinez
English 105: Critical Reading and writing
Synthesis Essay: Artificial Natural Selection
Tatiana Nekrasove
October 9, 2006
Artificial Natural Selection 2
The extinction of many species, and the cause for a large number of species to be
categorized as endangered, is due to a combination of the modern concept of human
intrusion and its effect on the environment, found in Laura Kurpis’ essay Causes of
Endangerment, and the older concept of natural selection, proposed by Charles Darwin.
Both concepts are required in order to understand how various species are being affected
all around the world and why some species are more vulnerable than others. When
natural selection is considered within the perspective of how humans are affecting the
rate of extinction of many species, they combine to form a type of artificial natural
selection in which human activity acts as a catalyst.
The first concept of human intrusion is derived from Lauren Kurpis’ essay
Causes of Endangerment. In this essay many different factors, associated with the
endangerment and extinction of a large number of species, are discussed. These factors
include the destruction of habitats, extracting various species from their habitats,
pollution, disease, and the introduction of foreign species. Within her essay, Kurpis is
able to connect all of these issues to the actions of humans. Kurpis explains all the
different factors that effect species and goes on to say, “It is hard to identify or predict
human effects on individual species and habitats, especially during a human lifetime. But
it is quite apparent that human activity has greatly contributed to species endangerment”
(1). That is humans are responsible for many species being close to extinction because of
their actions such as farming, poaching, the spreading of civilizations into natural
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habitats, logging, etc. While some are more interconnected than others, it is still apparent
that humans play a huge role in the problems facing many species.
The second concept is that of natural selection. This concept was
suggested by Charles Darwin and has been accepted by many over the years. The
concept of natural selection is also known to many by the phrase “survival of the fittest”.
Natural selection is primarily referred to as natural changes within an environment due to
natural disasters and other similar sorts (2). These changes usually occur slowly and are
rather small. Darwin based natural selection on the idea that:
“If there are organisms that reproduce, and if offspring inherit traits from their
progenitor(s), and if there is variability of traits, and if the environment cannot support all
members of a growing population, then those members of the population with lessadaptive traits (determined by the environment) will die out, and then those members
with more-adaptive traits (determined by the environment) will thrive” (2).
Only those species that are best able to adapt or are best fit for their environment and the
changes that it undergoes will be able to escape complete extinction.
Darwin’s theory of natural selection and Kurpis’s essay Causes of Endangerment
both deal with the issue of the extinction and endangerment of species. Artificial natural
selection combines the two concepts to explain how the changes within an environment
due to the factors mentioned in Kurpis’ essay affect the ability of some species to survive
and thrive while others are not able to adjust. The same principles of natural selection
may be applied to artificial natural selection with the exception that the environment is
being transformed by another force rather than through natural changes
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over a long period of time. This outside force is human activity that takes place within
and around the different environments.
Nearly all human activities have some kind of affect on the environment. Most of
these changes to the environment occur rapidly and do not allow many organisms the
necessary time required for them to adjust to these changes. Since this environmental
change occurs so quickly humans are classified as catalysts within this process of
artificial natural selection. This leads to species not being able to adjust fast enough and
many begin to die off and soon become labeled “endangered”. If nothing is done to
counter the damage done to the environment and to the population of the affected species
many will eventually become extinct.
Artificial natural selection deals with the comparing of all species to one another
instead of comparing the individuals within a specific species based on which genes are
more compatible with their environment than others. While the genes of different species
may play a significant role in the matter, it deals more with the concept of which species
are better able to adjust to changes at an accelerated rate and still be successful. This is
where artificial natural selection plays its part to explain that only those species that are
best able to cope and adjust to their quickly changing habitat around them will be able to
continue reproducing and thriving. An example of one such species that has been able to
thrive within the changes made to its environment is pigeons. Darwin’s theory of natural
selection deals with those organisms that are already programmed with certain genes that
may or may not fit their environment depending on the random chance of change (2).
Artificial natural selection deals with comparing the compatibility of entire species and
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their ability to change rather than subunits of specific species being more fit for the
environment than their closely related counterparts.
Natural selection in itself is not taken into account when considering factors that
contribute to the endangerment and eventual extinction of many species because it is
meant to deal solely with small gradual changes that occur naturally within environments.
However, an artificial natural selection can be applied to explain how some organisms are
able to adjust and survive within their rapidly changing environments and others begin to
die off. Humans within these situations play the role of catalysts that speed up the
changes that are taking place within habitats. This process that involves humans as
catalysts to the reactions that cause changes to the environment is best described by
artificial natural selection. Within this artificial natural selection only the organisms that
are able to quickly adjust their lifestyles to fit the changed environment will be successful
and be able to go on reproducing.
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Sources
1.)
Kurpis, L. Causes of Endangerment. Retrieved October 2, 2006, from
EndangeredSpecie.com
2.)
Wikinfo: Natural Selection. Retrieved October 2, 2006, from
http://www.wikinfo.org/wiki.php?title=Natural_selection