The venerable Charles Darwin provided the spark – and evolution is still a hot topic in science: Researchers are gaining ever more insights into the development processes of life, perspectives change and new questions arise. This topic is the focus of the November issue of Bild der Wissenschaft.
From the tiny microbes to the plants to the giant blue whale and humans: A colorful variety of living beings populates our planet, including a being who wonders how it all came about. The great pioneer of the scientific study of this topic was Charles Darwin. He contrasted the religious concept of creation with a history of development marked by selection that goes back billions of years. With his theory of evolution, he still shapes our understanding of how species came into being and how they continue to develop. What distinguished Darwin was his curiosity and the need to question – and this is the spirit in which evolution research continues.
This is made clear by the first article in the four-part title topic “Evolution Success Story”. In it, the bdw author Judith Rauch reports on new developments in the field of evolutionary biology. In particular, findings from genetics and epigenetics are now being incorporated into new explanations of evolutionary phenomena. In the article “Darwin on New Paths”, the author also sheds light on the importance of the evolutionary mechanism of the so-called niche construction. Against the background of the developments, some researchers are calling for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution to be expanded again, reports Rauch.
The bdw author Susanne Donner then clarifies that evolution is not always linked to long periods of time: microorganisms and microbes can adapt quickly and produce new characteristics – especially when they are driven by environmental stress. Through the use of antibiotics, for example, humans unintentionally fuel the evolution of pathogenic germs. However, medicine is trying to keep up thanks to clever innovations. Researchers also focus on how the accelerated mutation of cells occurs, reports Donner in the article “Evolution in a hurry”.
From giant viruses and humans
In the third part of the title topic, bdw author Thomas Köhler focuses on a particularly astonishing product of evolution: the giant viruses. In contrast to their relatives, who rely solely on the host cells, they have genes for the production of proteins. Köhler sheds light on the question of what Mimivirus and Co have got from this concept and how they could have come about.
The cover story is rounded off by a look at current human problems with reference to predispositions that have arisen in the course of the evolution of our species. Specifically: Why is it so difficult for mankind to resolutely tackle climate change and the corona pandemic? In order to master global challenges, humans have to overcome some of their evolutionarily developed routines, writes the bdw author Jan Berndorff. Instead of identifying with small groups, this would require a global sense of community. There is reason to hope, because people are more cooperative than expected, writes Berndorff.
You can find out more in the November issue of bild der Wissenschaft, which will be available in stores from October 19.