The Species That Broke Evolution?

Summary

This video from MinuteEarth challenges the notion of 'living fossils,' explaining that all species evolve over time due to genetic mutations. While some, like gars, evolve slowly, others like the tuatara have rapidly mutating genes. The video illustrates that the rate of evolution varies, and even 'living fossils' like coelacanths and horseshoe crabs show subtle changes, emphasizing the continuous process of evolution. It concludes with a personal anecdote on skill development through Skillshare, highlighting the importance of change for personal growth.

Takeaways

• 🌏 The concept of 'living fossils' is challenged; species like gars, horseshoe crabs, and coelacanths, once thought to be evolutionarily static, are actually changing, albeit at different rates.
• 🔬 Charles Darwin's notion that certain species are 'frozen in time' is incorrect as all species undergo evolution due to genetic mutations over time.
• 🧬 Genetic mutations are a biological rule, occurring randomly as individuals reproduce, with some mutations aiding survival and reproduction, while others are detrimental and do not persist.
• 🐟 Gars, a type of predatory fish, have a remarkably slow rate of genetic mutation compared to most vertebrates, which contributes to their slow evolution.
• 🦈 Despite their slow evolution, gars can still interbreed with closely related species that shared a common ancestor over 100 million years ago, resulting in fertile offspring.
• 🦀 Horseshoe crabs and coelacanths do not evolve slowly; their genes mutate at a similar rate to most other animals, challenging the 'living fossil' label.
• 🦎 The tuatara, another 'living fossil,' actually has the fastest evolving genes of any vertebrate studied, indicating rapid genetic change.
• 🦈 The horseshoe crab's successful body plan may be so well-adapted to its environment that mutations leading to significant changes are less likely to be preserved.
• 🐟 Coelacanths have evolved in subtle ways that are not easily noticeable, such as differences in the placement of facial bones between modern and ancestral species.
• 🦎 The tuatara's rapid evolution may be attributed to both its skeleton's subtle changes over time and its body shape's near-perfect adaptation to its burrowing lifestyle.
• 📚 The video also promotes Skillshare as an online learning platform for creatives, offering classes that can help individuals level up their skills and productivity, as exemplified by the presenter's experience with Ali Abdaal's Notion masterclass.

Q & A

What is the term used to describe species that appear to have remained unchanged over long periods of time?

The term used to describe such species is 'living fossils'.

Why did Darwin call certain species 'living fossils'?

Darwin called them 'living fossils' because they seemed to be evolutionarily frozen in time, showing little change over millions of years.

What is a biological rule that all species must follow?

All species must change over time due to the nature of genetic mutations and evolution.

How do genetic mutations affect an organism's survival and reproduction?

Some genetic mutations can hurt an organism's ability to survive and reproduce, leading to their elimination, while others can help or not affect it, allowing them to persist.

Why do some species like gars evolve at a slower rate than others?

Gars have genes that mutate thousands of times slower than most other vertebrates, although the exact reason for this is not fully understood by scientists.

How does the slow rate of evolution in gars affect their genetic similarity with other species?

The slow rate of evolution allows gars to remain genetically similar to other species to the point where they can still interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

What is an example of a 'living fossil' that has genes that mutate at the same rate as most other animals?

Coelacanths and horseshoe crabs are examples of 'living fossils' with genes that mutate at a rate comparable to most other animals.

Why might the physical appearance of some 'living fossils' like the horseshoe crab not change significantly?

The horseshoe crab's body plan works exceptionally well in its marine environment, and mutations that significantly alter this form may reduce its environmental fit, leading to a return to the successful form.

How does the tuatara, another 'living fossil', differ from others in terms of genetic mutation rate?

The tuatara has the fastest evolving genes of any vertebrate studied, which is a contrast to the slow mutation rates seen in other 'living fossils'.

What could be a reason for the tuatara's rapid evolution despite its seemingly unchanged appearance?

The tuatara's skeleton is subtly changing over time, and its body shape appears to be perfectly adapted for its burrow-dwelling lifestyle, which might explain the rapid evolution.

Why might some changes in a species not be visible in the fossil record?

Changes that occur internally, such as adaptations to new environments or physiological changes, may not be apparent in the fossil record and require more detailed examination to detect.

How does the video script relate the concept of 'living fossils' to personal development and learning?

The script uses the concept of 'living fossils' to illustrate the importance of change and adaptation, both in nature and in personal growth, as exemplified by the host's experience learning Notion on Skillshare.

Outlines

00:00

🦕 Evolution of 'Living Fossils'

The video script introduces the concept of 'living fossils', species like gars, horseshoe crabs, and coelacanths that have remained seemingly unchanged for millions of years. It challenges the idea that these species are evolutionarily static, explaining that all species undergo genetic mutations over time, with some mutations aiding survival and reproduction. The script highlights that the rate of evolution varies among species, with gars evolving particularly slowly due to their genes mutating at a much slower pace. Despite this, they can still interbreed with other gar species that shared a common ancestor over 100 million years ago, unlike other species pairs mentioned for comparison.

Keywords

💡Living fossils

Living fossils refer to species that have remained relatively unchanged over millions of years and appear to be evolutionarily static. In the context of the video, Darwin originally termed such species as 'living fossils,' suggesting they were evolutionarily frozen in time. However, the video explains that this is a misconception, as all species, including gars, coelacanths, and horseshoe crabs, do evolve, albeit at different rates.

💡Evolution

Evolution is the process by which species change over time due to genetic mutations and natural selection. The video emphasizes that evolution is a biological rule, with mutations accumulating over time and leading to changes in species. It is central to the video's theme, illustrating how even species once thought to be 'frozen' in time are subject to this ongoing process.

💡DNA mutation

DNA mutation is a random change in an organism's genetic code. The video explains that as individuals reproduce, their DNA mutates, with some mutations being harmful and others beneficial or neutral. These mutations are a driving force behind evolution, as beneficial mutations can help an organism survive and reproduce, thus becoming more prevalent in the species over time.

💡Gars

Gars are predatory fish that have a mutation rate significantly slower than most vertebrates. The video uses gars as an example of a species that, despite their slow rate of genetic change, are still evolving. It highlights the alligator gar and the longnose gar, which can still interbreed and produce fertile offspring due to their slow evolutionary pace.

💡Coelacanths

Coelacanths are ancient fish that were once thought to be extinct but were rediscovered in the 20th century. The video mentions coelacanths as an example of a species that, contrary to being a 'living fossil,' has been evolving in subtle ways that are not easily noticeable to the untrained eye, such as changes in the placement of facial bones.

💡Horseshoe crabs

Horseshoe crabs are marine animals with a body plan that has remained largely unchanged. The video suggests that their successful body plan, including a domed shell and rudder-like tail, has remained effective in their environment, and mutations that significantly alter this form may be selected against, maintaining their 'fossil-like' appearance.

💡Tuatara

The tuatara is a reptile with the fastest evolving genes among vertebrates studied. The video points out that the tuatara's rapid genetic evolution and its body shape are well-adapted to its burrowing lifestyle. It challenges the notion of 'living fossils' by showing that even species with ancient lineage can evolve rapidly.

💡Adaptation

Adaptation in the context of the video refers to the process by which organisms become better suited to their environment through evolutionary changes. It is illustrated through examples such as the horseshoe crab's body plan and the tuatara's skeletal changes, showing how species adapt to their environments over time.

💡Fossil record

The fossil record is the collection of preserved evidence of past life found in the Earth's crust. The video mentions that some changes in species, like the tuatara's skeletal adaptations, might not be visible in the fossil record, indicating that the fossil record may not capture all aspects of a species' evolution.

💡Skillshare

Skillshare is an online learning platform mentioned in the video's sponsored content. It is a community for creatives offering classes across various fields. The video's host shares a personal anecdote about using Skillshare to improve productivity by mastering Notion, a software tool, illustrating the platform's utility for personal and professional development.

💡Notion

Notion is a productivity software that the video's host uses to organize various aspects of life. It is mentioned as an example of a tool that can be mastered through Skillshare's classes, showing how learning new skills can lead to personal growth and improved efficiency.

Highlights

Sponsored video by Skillshare featuring the concept of 'living fossils'.

Ancestral species of humans, gars, horseshoe crabs, and coelacanths from 100 million years ago.

Darwin's incorrect notion of 'living fossils' being evolutionarily static.

Biological rule of species change over time due to genetic mutations.

Different rates of evolution among species, with gars mutating slowly.

Gars' slow mutation rate allows for genetic similarity and interbreeding with distant relatives.

Coelacanths and horseshoe crabs have mutation rates similar to most animals.

Tuatara, a 'living fossil', has the fastest evolving genes among vertebrates.

Horseshoe crabs' successful body plan may resist significant mutational changes.

Coelacanths have evolved with subtle changes in appearance not easily noticed.

Tuatara's rapid evolution includes skeletal changes and perfect body shape adaptation.

Species may evolve in ways not visible in the fossil record, such as physiological adaptations.

The concept that there are no true 'living fossils' and all life is in constant evolution.

Individuals, like species, must change to survive and thrive.

Personal growth through learning on Skillshare, specifically Ali Abdaal’s Notion masterclass.

Skillshare as a platform for creative learning with classes across various fields.

Skillshare offering a one-month free trial for the first 500 users through a special link.

Transcripts

This video is sponsored by Skillshare.  More about them at the end of the video.

One hundred million years ago, the  ancestors of humans looked like this.

At the very same time in  history, the ancestors of gars,  

horseshoe crabs and coelacanths  looked like this, this, and this.

Darwin called species like these  “living fossils'' because they  

seem like they are evolutionarily  frozen in time. But Darwin was wrong.

Hi, I’m David and this is MinuteEarth.

All species change over time: it’s  a biological rule –mostly due to  

how genes work. As individuals  reproduce, DNA randomly mutates.

Some of these mutations hurt  the organism's ability to  

survive and reproduce, so they don’t make the cut.

But others help – or at least  don’t hurt – so they stick around.

Over time, mutations pile up, changing species  in all sorts of ways. That’s evolution.

But evolution doesn't happen at the same rate  in all species. Predatory fish known as gars  

have genes that mutate thousands of times  slower than those of most other vertebrates,  

although scientists don’t  totally understand why that is.

So despite what Darwin thought, gars are changing,  they’re just changing really really slowly.

In fact, even though the alligator gar  and the longnose gar last shared a common  

ancestor more than 100 million years ago,  these fish evolve so slowly – and thus are  

still so genetically similar – that they  can still mate and make fertile offspring.

That’s like if Chimpanzees and Kangaroos  – who also shared a common ancestor around  

that time – were able to make a baby. For  the record – that can’t actually happen. 

But not all so-called living  fossils evolve slowly.

Coelacanths and horseshoe crabs  have genes that mutate at pretty  

much the same rate as those of most other animals.

And the tuatara – another so-called living  fossil – actually has the fastest evolving  

genes of any vertebrate studied. So why don't  these animals LOOK like they're changing?

For the horseshoe crab, it seems that  its particular body plan – you know,  

the classic domed shell and rudder-like  tail – just works super well in its  

marine environment – and has for a long time.

It might be that every time mutations  significantly change this body plan,  

the crabs become slightly-less-well-suited  

to their environment, and future mutations  end up bringing that successful form back.

The coelacanth, meanwhile, actually has been  evolving in ways that do change its appearance;  

it's just that the changes are so subtle  that most of us don’t notice them.

Like, if you look carefully at the skulls  of a modern coelacanth and its ancestor,  

you can see that – despite their incredible  

similarity – their facial bones are  actually in very different places.

As for the tuatara, we're not totally  sure why it’ s evolving so quickly,  

but it seems like both things are happening –  its skeleton is subtly changing over time AND its  

particular body shape seems to be almost perfectly  adapted for its life in and out of a burrow.

And finally, a species could be changing in ways  that we just can't see in the fossil record.

For example, we know that some ancient  coelacanth relatives lived in freshwater,  

so modern ones must have evolved in ways that  helped them deal with excess salt and buoyancy.

So there’s no such thing as a living fossil.

Life on Earth is constantly evolving. It’s  just that there are lots of ways to do that,  

and for some species, the more things  change, the more they stay the same.

Species aren’t the only things that need to change  in order to survive and thrive - individuals need  

to, too. Since I didn’t want my abilities to  fossilize, I decided to level up my productivity  

by taking Ali Abdaal’s Notion masterclass on  Skillshare. Skillshare is the largest online  

learning community for creatives with thousands  of classes led by industry experts across film,  

illustration, design, freelance, productivity,  and more. Seriously – there’s even a class on  

YouTubing taught by MKBHD himself. I loved Ali’s  Notion class because it took me step-by-step  

through the steep learning curve of the software  that had stymied me in the past and brought me to  

the point where I’m now using Notion to organize  pretty much everything in my life. Skillshare can  

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and each Skillshare Learning Path is a  curated, sequential collection of classes  

designed to help you master a specific skill or  competency. The first 500 people to use the link  

in the description will receive a one month  free trial of Skillshare! Get started today!