Adaptation is a change, or the process of change, by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment. History tells us that adaptation plays a crucial role when it comes to the survival of a species. Humans (Homo sapiens) and Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) were initially thought to have evolved from Homo erectus between 300,000 and 200,000 years ago. When southeastern Europe became a large area of flat unforested grassland and semi-desert, during the last Ice Age, humans were able to carry on their existence by producing food through agricultural processes. On the other hand, Neanderthals succumbed to the perils, as a result of their inability to adapt their hunting methods to the environment.
Currently, radiation is one of the biggest threats to the existence of the human species, whether the threat comes through the detonation of nuclear weapons, or by the penetration of ultraviolet rays through Earth’s deteriorating ozone layer. I recently read an online article that put humans on a top 10 list of species that would most likely survive a nuclear fallout. Yep, humans made it on the list alongside cockroaches, scorpions, alligators, and amoebas! One thing I know from teaching science, is that there are some species that only swam before, now they can walk! The opposite is true too! There are some species that only dwelled on land before, but later adapted to aquatic habitats. The question is – how will humans adapt to this modern threat?
