WILDLIFE MESSAGES 2022

 EVOLUTION: WHAT, WHY AND HOW ?

Monday, 26 September 2022

Dear friend,

The beautiful Earth that we inhabit is about 4.5 billion years old and the earliest undisputed evidence of life dates back to 3.5 billion years! So far, we are unaware of any other planet that can sustain life.

Scientists say that the existence of life on Earth rests on three main pillars. 1. Our distance from the Sun – with a congenial temperature for all life forms. 2. The atmosphere surrounding the Earth that provides abundant amounts of life giving Oxygen, Nitrogen and Hydrogen, along with the essential Carbon that is present in soil. 3. The Earth’s axial tilt of 23.5 degrees, that is responsible for the different annual seasonal cycles.

Life forms have been constantly evolving ever since their inception on Earth. The single celled micro-organisms, to begin with, not only learnt to live in their surrounding environs, but also adapted themselves to the changing ecosystem. And those changes that occurred in their body and behavior were promptly transferred to their next generation through the genes.

This process of evolutionary changes should have occurred too fast. The genetic changes often gave rise to mutations and this was seen as a burst of hundreds of thousands of new species of life forms on the Earth, each in turn lived as a separate entity. Life on Earth evolved on two distinct branches i.e., plants and animals. With the advent of innumerable species, the eco-system of the whole Earth became more and more intricate and complex.

To maintain the balance in the eco-system, every life form had to lead a congenial life, with mutual understanding and symbiosis. Coexistence thus becoming the life mantra of everybody, the process of evolution continued relentlessly.

Each and every life form throughout its life uses materials from the air, water and soil, available in nature for its growth and sustenance. These exhaustible materials have to be quickly replenished back to nature. This is accomplished, directly or indirectly, by all life forms during their life or after death.

This evolutionary process that is occurring in the magnificent and magnanimous laboratory of our Earth has given rise to multitudinous species of organisms and it appears that most of them failed to be a part of this grand machinery of give and take lifestyle. Those that failed naturally exited the Earth. Scientists say that about 99 percent of such organisms are extinct and only one percent of all the living beings who succeeded, exist on Earth today!

Nature always tries to be perfect. This process of achieving absolute excellence, is seen naturally throughout the lifetime of a living being. In its endeavour of striving for perfection, it acquires qualities that take it one step forward in the evolutionary process. Depending on its karmas, its values are written promptly on its genes. These vise and virtuous character traits are carried on to the subsequent generation through their genetic assemblage.

Thus, we see two types of evolutionary process that is occurring on Earth. Primarily, where one species continues to evolve and transfer its genetic material to subsequent progenies of the same species. Secondly, a new species that is born out of already evolved species that enjoys the fruits of evolution. We, humans belong to the second type of evolutionary process.

There are questions that we have to ask ourselves: Do we respect and live in concordance with the nature’s instincts and grand designs? Are we living in harmony with our cohabitants on the Earth? While using up all the luxuries that are available in nature, extensively and exuberantly, are we returning anything back to our environment? Today, we have reached a time in the evolutionary process that we have to introspect.

Let us join hands to make our only Earth, a place where all elements of life can live in health, happiness, and harmony.

SPECIAL WILDLIFE MESSENGER OF THIS YEAR

HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus) is strongly associated with human habitation and found all over the world. Whereas the female and young ones have a pale brown and grey coloured body, males are brighter brown, black and white. Mostly feed on seeds of grains and weeds. They are predated by domestic cats and other predatory birds and mammals. Concrete buildings, extensive use of pesticides, packed food grains in the markets, obnoxious vehicular exhausts and air-water-sound pollution are reasons for its decline in population.