Solomon’s Wonder Project

      Will any species evolve to be superior than humans?

 

After careful research and many articles, it is indeed possible for other species to evolve being something equal or even surpass humans. The most probable way I believe for a species becoming equal or superior than humans is through genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is essentially the alteration of an animal’s genes. In our current generation we can alternate their gene for example by putting a stronger disease resistance from one animal to another. Genetic engineering was introduced to do things such as enhance an animal’s health, make food production better and as well furthering human health. Overall, genetic engineering could make animals have useful abilities we never seen before.

Another possible idea how genetic engineering can make animals superior is if we are able to bring back extinct animals. In 1999, the mountain goat called the bucardo went extinct due to humans hunting for them. In 2003, scientists were able to take samples of the last bucardo and create a clone of it, which was a massive success. However, the mountain goat died just 10 minutes after it was born. This suggests that possibly in the future we can possibly clone other extinct animals such as a mammoth or passenger pigeon. Extinct animals could possess useful traits so we could move that trait to another animal. So, I think that in the future we will be able to revive extinct animals for genetic engineering.

Without genetically engineering an animal so it could evolve to possibly surpassing a human will seem a difficult challenge. We will have to wait since evolution can take very long to even before it starts to show changes. In this generation, environments have been slowly shifting to where there are animals that must change and adapt. For instance, global warming because it has becoming more noticeable over the years, and animals will have to adapt to the heat which then they must find solutions or die off. Nonetheless, there are also other problems for endangered animals like us decimating their habitats. Stephen Jay Gould, who was an American paleontologist and evolutionary biologist says that evolution is impossible to predict due to mutation, recombination, migration, animals surviving and the chances of finding a mate. Whether or not this is true by Stephen Jay Gould, in this generation we can now start to comprehend how animals will try to adapt to their environments and see if we could learn more.

According to Michio Kaku who is a professor of theoretical physics, simply states that it is possible for us to teach an animal our knowledge. An excellent example by the professor could be a chimpanzee because humans are similar 98.5% genetically. It’s possible to teach them our vocabulary, create and use tools because we have the genes to make them intelligent. If this happens, then there could be a chance for chimpanzees to evolve and adapt environments just like we do however there is a problem. Sure, the chimpanzees can be knowledgeable as us, but there’s no reason to because we are just turning a chimpanzee more like a human. In conclusion, a chimpanzee could be taught to be as smart as a human.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                    Image by : Pixabay

  1. What questions did you need to research in order to research your topic?

One of the few questions that I needed to research for my topic, is ask are we able to bring back extinct animals and what is the limit to genetically engineering animals? So I could support those answers of how genetic engineering could be the best way of animals becoming superior than humans.

2. What new or familiar digital tools did you try to use as you worked through this project?                         

                                                                                                                                                                     Image by : Public Domain Pictures     

Digital tools that I have used throughout this project is through google and finding a trustworthy site from researching it, using an educational youtube video to add on my research, and using the Gale Power Search which has been verified by the school as an excellent search engine to find articles.

3. What was the process you used to investigate this topic?

The process I used after inventing my question, is taking all my notes from my wonder project research template and converting it into well thought out paragraphs. Next, I double checked and edited all of my paragraphs, after I cited my sources, posting a video, and a photo.

4. How did you verify and cite the information you found?

Well first, the search engine Gale Power Search was already verified by the school, making it a clear trust worthy website. Next is a youtube video which I found and has been focusing around the evolution of intelligence by a smart american physicist named Michio Kaku. The last site that I verified and cited the information I found was the bio.org site with an article answering asked questions about engineered animals. I was able to verify by going through the site slowly , seeing if anything was suspicious or had errors in the article. Then, I would go to a citation machine to cite the site for me, so I could simply copy and paste the citation or I would create my own citation if there is no author or date.

5. How did the process of completing this challenge go? What could you have done better?

In all honesty of this project, completing this challenge was definitely not easy and tough to find one direct answer to my question. Specifically the sites and articles that would be fit for my project. I could have easily done better if I had put more effort in and not being sidetracked.

 

 

 

Sources: Dunbar, R. (2003, June 14). Evolution: five big questions. New Scientist, 178(2399), 32+. Retrieved from https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A104080928/GPS?u=43riss&sid=GPS&xid=15d35aa7

Mark, J. (2013, Autumn). Back from the dead. Earth Island Journal, 28(3), 30+. Retrieved from https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A342874965/GPS?u=43riss&sid=GPS&xid=94f07ae6

bio.org Genetically Engineered Animals: Frequently Asked Questions Retrieved from https://www.bio.org/articles/genetically-engineered-animals-frequently-asked-questions

https://www.pexels.com/photo/animals-birds-dawn-giraffe-417142/

https://www.pexels.com/photo/animal-eyes-big-dangerous-87403/

 

 

 

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