Everything old is new again

If you held on to that shirt you wore 30 years ago, it may just be back in style now.  You can’t always predict the future, but there’s a good chance that old times will become new again.  Things tend to run in cycles.

In the past, there were Ice Ages and times of Global Warming, and our ancestors evolved to adjust to each of these times.  There were epochs of plenty, and epochs of famine.  For each scenario, our ancestors evolved to fit their new environment, not just with bodily changes, but with instincts to fit the new times as well.  Monkeys evolved traits and body shapes to adapt to life in trees, and at other times, to life on the plains.  Before them, their ancestors evolved instincts for harsh times and flush times; times of war, and times of peace.  (Sorry, Jane Goodall, but even chimpanzees go to war!)

Every instinct is (obviously) an inborn behavior, maintained in our DNA, and expressed in the configuration of our brain.  Each time our ancestors evolved, they kept the DNA for those instincts filed away in our so-called “junk DNA” , the vast library of seemingly unused DNA we all have.  It's an immense burden to pass down this library of genetic knowledge, so it must be of some use for future generations.

And we don’t just get DNA from our ancestors.  Certain retroviruses can transmit DNA from other species to humans.  So we can learn their genetic lessons, even after our family trees split millions of years ago.

Good times and bad times always seem to return, in cycles.  Ten Ice Ages occur every million years or so.  Our DNA takes the long-term view, and retains its knowledge of useful instincts and body types for those previously experienced scenarios.

Over time, for example, there have existed long-necked animals – like giraffes – which evolved when the hunt for food was more competitive.  In other, less competitive times, when there was plenty of low-hanging fruit and leaves, the short-necked animals thrived.  But the evolved characteristic were stored in their collective DNA.  When those characteristics aren't needed, they lay dormant in the genetic code.  When needed again, they can be quickly brought back (or perhaps they were temporarily stored in a virus somewhere for safe-keeping!).

You have to wonder whether our DNA is self-aware enough to actually anticipate the return of bygone eras, since change itself is a constant characteristic of our environment.  And indeed, there is precedent for anticipation in our genes.  Genes also have the ability to modulate themselves, and even switch themselves off between generations.  So Lamarck may have been onto something after all.

Perhaps there are even shorter cycles built-in to our collective genome.  Times of peace and stability may induce children to become more hyperactive.  Who knows?

You can also look at any characteristic that exists today, and imagine it evolved millions of years ago.  For example, humans are intelligent designers, thus perhaps the ability to undergo intelligent design has existed in the DNA code for millions of years.

Comments

[Pellionisz]

"Every instinct is (obviously) an inborn behavior, maintained in our DNA, and expressed in the configuration of our brain. Each time our ancestors evolved, they kept the DNA for those instincts filed away in our so-called “junk DNA” , the vast library of seemingly unused DNA we all have."

The (very appropriate, IMHO) keyword in your statement is "seemingly". ("Seemingly unused DNA" - referring to what used to be known as "junk" DNA before International PostGenetics Society formally abandoned this misnomer; http://www.postgenetics.org).

While today hardly any serious scientist harbor much doubt that "Junk" DNA is "anything but" (junk); the real question seems to be not IF it is used but HOW the non-genic vast majority of the genome is used (98.7% in human DNA).

See plenty of background at http://www.junkdna.com - and look at the IPGS website (tab "Founders") with professional philosopher also among the 52 Founders.

pellionisz_at_junkdna.com