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The Gaia hypothesis (/ ˈ ɡ aɪ. ə /), also known as the Gaia theory, Gaia paradigm, or the Gaia principle, proposes that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a synergistic and self-regulating complex system that helps to maintain and perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet.
Humans did not evolve from either of the living species of chimpanzees (common chimpanzees and bonobos) or any other living species of apes. [174] Humans and chimpanzees did, however, evolve from a common ancestor. [175] [176] This most recent common ancestor of living humans and chimpanzees would have lived between 5 and 8 million years ago. [177]
Wheels incur mechanical and other disadvantages in certain environments and situations that would represent a decreased fitness when compared with limbed locomotion. [40] These disadvantages suggest that, even barring the biological constraints discussed above, the absence of wheels in multicellular life may not be the "missed opportunity" of ...
Understanding planetary habitability is partly an extrapolation of the conditions on Earth, as this is the only planet known to support life.. Planetary habitability is the measure of a planet's or a natural satellite's potential to develop and maintain an environment hospitable to life. [1]
In a similar vein, Thomas Gold suggested that life on Earth might have originated accidentally from a pile of 'Cosmic Garbage' dumped on Earth long ago by extraterrestrial beings. [49] These theories are often considered more science fiction, however, Crick and Orgel use the principle of cosmic reversibility to argue for it.
Biodiversity generally refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth, and is represented by the number of different species there are on the planet. Since its introduction, Homo sapiens (the human species) have been killing off entire species either directly (such as through hunting) or indirectly (such as by destroying habitats ...
The importance of stone tools, circa 2.5 million years ago, is considered fundamental in the human development in the hunting hypothesis. [citation needed]Primatologist, Richard Wrangham, theorizes that the control of fire by early humans and the associated development of cooking was the spark that radically changed human evolution. [2]
[15] [16] Consequently, in this view, microscopic life dominates Earth, and large organisms only appear more diverse due to sampling bias. Genome complexity has generally increased since the beginning of the life on Earth. [17] [18] Some computer models have suggested that the generation of complex organisms is an inescapable feature of evolution.