Process of Evolution

   There is an interesting episode that happened in the USA. A Catholic student took the teacher to Court for imparting the 'Evolutionary Theory of Darwin that states Man evolved from the stage of Primate, Monkey. Erasmus Darwin (Temple of Nature 1803 posthumous publication), Grandfather of Charles Darwin, first stated that evolution from a primordial soup is sequential from the earliest  mosses and lichens (470 - 360 million years), The green algae, mosses and lichens gradually diversified into larger vascular plant kingdom. In the animal kingdom, the unicellular ameba followed by jelly fish and other fish that developed lungs to breath, adapted to different ecosystems, moved on the land habitats, diversifies to stages of crocodiles, snakes, frog, birds, and varieties of birds and reptiles. Thus, finally, we finds the development to primates, mammals like monkey and man. Thus, from the aquatic to amphibian, arboreal to land animals, there is a wonderful transformation. There are four intermediate stages amongst the Primates- from the state of Monkey to Orang Utang and on to Chimpanzee, Gorilla and Man. There are morphological (appearance) and anatomical (structural) changes in these stages of animal development. One can find these differences in the dogs and cats, lions and tigers, etc. Normally, there is an increase in the size of the skull and facial changes amongst these without much internal changes. Intelligence and ability to adapt to environment in order to survive and reproduce improves with every successive stages in development. Self-preservation and adaptation to ecosystem/habitat are the basic principles. Thus we find living creatures including man adapted to a variety habitats such as, the forest, mountains and hills, River banks, coastal marshes and plains. The fundamental Rule than an exception in evolution is adaptation and then, survival of the fittest under fiercest competition and changing climatic conditions. .

  As the story goes, Charles Darwin was a very mischievous boy and often missed his classes. When the teacher said that he would visit his house and meet his parents or guardians, he was afraid and quietly escaped and was hiding in a ship where his uncle was the Captain. Finally, when the ship reached the Barbados Is. he spent his time collecting variety of sea shells and other things on the beach. It is said that he found some gradual shift in their forms and this gave him a rough idea about the sequential order of evolution. This narration actually became the  Darwin's theory of Evolution. Later on, many others put forth their opinion that came to be known as Neo-Darwinism,

  In contrast to the above, we have the Hindu mythology that gives a clear idea of evolution of all living beings, of course, in the same sequential order. Here, Creation started with Brahmn or Paramatman. "He Willed". It is also stated as I Am One, I shall become many". Eko'ham bahusyam | Also, it is stated that, "Having Created, He Entered It" - tad srushtvaa tadeva anupravishat |

  The sequential order of creation is stated as: First came the Space (aksha). This is stated as kham brahmaa | Then came Air (vayu) from it (50 per cent of it manifest as air). This consisted of Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Ozone nd argon. Then came Agni (Fire) from it (50 per cent of it). Then appeared water out of agni (50 per cent of it). The surf of water is said to be earth consisting of  variety of elements- mineral and non-mineral, metallic and non-metallic, predominantly consisting of Quarts and Aluminum followed by magnesium, manganese, iron (Ferrous), Nickel, Copper, etc. The surface of the earth is covered by water (almost 79%) and the rest by land consisting mainly of silicon and aluminum (SiAl).

 Life appeared in the form of plant cells first in water (aquatic) and, later evolved into diverse forms, The multi-cellular organisms formed out of cell division and cell multiplication. The life forms diversified from fish (aquatic) to frog (amphibian), and land animals and insects to birds (arboreal) and then monkey onwards to man. There is a gradual evolution from one stage to another with changes in structure (anatomy) and appearance (morphology) in order to adapt to environment and survive competition. Man (Homo sapiens) appeared at the top of this scale only very recently, 

  Today, Man is still in the primitive state or early stage of development in the scale and may develop up to Brahmn. Sri Aurobindo puts this as a gradual development from physical to mental and on to ethereal and finally spiritual stages. |