The Direction of Evolution

The Direction of Evolution

It is often supposed that biological evolution tends toward ever 'higher' forms of life; more complex, more sophisticated, more worthy. And it is usually taken for granted that Man (Homo sapiens) is at the apex of this advance. 

However, in fact, as indeed in theory, life evolves towards ever better 'reproducers' and 'survivors'. At the apex of 'the tree of life' are not Homo sapiens, but viruses and insects.

The humble bed-bug (Cimex lectularius [1]) is a parasite almost perfectly adapted to preying on human blood. Its flat body can slide into tiny crevices where it can hide, survive for months without food, and escape the application of insecticidal sprays and powders. And it does essentially nothing to diminish its flock of potential hosts.

I say 'almost' perfect, for its bite can, on some hosts, raise itchy red lesions or even raised welts. However, on some 50% of hosts its bites cause no visible effect [1]. These are likely to be the bed-bugs of the future. 

Nor have we eliminated the SARS-CoV2 virus. Viruses and insects are the conquerers of the conquerers. 

Reference

[1]  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bed_bug