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https://theconversation.com/no-animal-alive-today-is-primitive-why-are-so-many-still-labeled-that-way-266208>
"We humans have long viewed ourselves as the pinnacle of evolution. People
label other species as “primitive” or “ancient” and use terms like “higher” and
“lower” animals.
This anthropocentric perspective was entrenched in 1866, when German scientist
Ernst Haeckel drew one of the first trees of life. He placed “Man,” clearly
labeled, at the top. This illustration helped establish the popular view that
we are the ultimate goal of evolution.
Modern evolutionary biology and genomics debunk that flawed perspective,
showing there is no hierarchy in evolution. All species alive today, from
chimpanzees to bacteria, are cousins that each have equally long lineages,
rather than ancestors or descendants.
Unfortunately, these outdated notions remain prevalent in scientific journals
and science journalism. In my new book, “Understanding the Tree of Life,” I
explore why it is fundamentally misleading to view any current species as
primitive, ancient or simple. As an evolutionary biologist, I offer an
alternative view that emphasizes evolution’s complex, nonhierarchical,
interconnected history."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
