Meet the principal

Baptiste and Reiner left the classroom and came to the end of the corridor, where they could see the scenery outside the window.

Due to the end of the rainy season, the water level in Erasmus will not be replenished and will gradually decrease in nearly half a month. Most of the ground will be exposed. The soil that has been soaked in water for a long time has settled. A lot of nutrients, very fertile, enough to support plants to thrive.

Baptiste glanced at Reiner.

"What do you want from me?"

"Mr. Baptiste, I found a piece of information in the library of the institute last night."

Reiner said, taking out a stack of paper from the storage bag.

This is a biological investigation of the demiplane of Erasmus, but it is not an existing creature, but a study based on various fossils.

That is, the investigation of living things that no longer exist.

"What do you want to say?"

Baptiste took the information and flipped through a few pages at random.

"This is a fossil survey of paleontology. I saw an ancient species of rainforest falcon in it. This falcon is not much different from the conventional falcon, at least in terms of the structure of the fossil reaction."

Reiner explained that there are some traces of excavations in the data, including the remains of the rainforest falcon's nest, bone fossils, and fossils obtained after being wrapped in soft soil.

"This is a fossil dating back more than 1,800 years ago. There is no difference between the rainforest falcons in the Erasmus demiplane and the falcons in the outside world. However, many fossils can be clearly seen on the fossils dating back 1,200 years ago. different."

He turned over a page, and on the second page, there were several fossils of different shapes.

"According to investigation, the climate in the demiplane of Erasmus has not always been like this. Before 1,800 years ago, it was still an area with four distinct seasons like the main plane. Until 1,100 years ago, The first occurrence of high water levels suggests that the climate of Erasmus changed during this period."

According to the data, the fossils of rainforest falcons show different shapes. Some have larger wings than those of the same kind, and some have changed claws, making them closer to swans and ducks. Since the fossils cannot reflect changes in feathers and internal organs, it is difficult to see It's unclear whether these rainforest falcons evolved glands that secrete oil.

"The shapes of these rainforest falcons are hugely different, and they did not completely evolve in the same direction. But in the end, among the fossils dating back 800 years, only a type of rainforest falcon with more developed wings survived, which has become the same as the one with more developed wings. There’s not much difference in the current Rainforest Falcon.”

Baptiste said nothing. He glanced at the pictures above.

In addition to the rainforest falcon, Reiner also showed the fossils of several other animals. In the hundreds of years when the climate of the demiplane of Erasmus changed, these creatures have changed to varying degrees from their ancient appearances. Moreover, they are all stages in which multiple forms coexist, and they are not evolving in the same direction as Baptiste said.

"Mr. Baptiste, I actually have some guesses. I wonder if you are willing to listen."

Reiner put away the information and said to Baptiste.

“Let’s talk, different opinions help us think.”

Baptiste nodded slightly, but did not say anything about the information that Reiner had clearly used to refute himself.

"I believe that the process of biological evolution is not completed in one or two generations. This process will last for a long time."

Reiner spoke first. He observed Baptiste's expression and then spoke.

"The evolution of living things definitely does not happen for no reason. There must be reasons. But I feel that if we really have to wait for the environment to change before the living things adapt, this time is actually too late. Just like Erasmus In this demiplane, its climate has changed from the original four distinct seasons to the current interlaced rainy and dry seasons, and the process only took one or two years."

Fossils of past trees can be found underground in Erasmus. It is easy to accurately determine the time of climate change in Erasmus. It can be seen that the climate change in this demiplane occurred almost within five years. It was done. In this isolated demiplane, Reiner guessed that there must be human factors involved.

"So, I believe that changes in biological traits precede changes in the environment. According to genetic theory, blood factors are the main factors that determine traits. However, blood factors are not completely stable and may mutate. Mutated blood factors will inevitably cause external diseases. In the change of traits, so my guess is that the first step in evolution is a mutation in the bloodline factor."

As Reiner spoke, he paid attention to the expression on Baptiste's face, but unfortunately, Baptiste had no obvious emotional fluctuations.

"This kind of mutation is not accidental, but common and continuous. Moreover, biological evolution is not based on individuals, but on populations. In fact, mutations occur every moment, as long as However, some are so small that they cannot be observed, but a sufficient amount will cause qualitative changes. This is where quantitative changes lead to qualitative changes."

After taking two steps, Reiner looked out the window at the colorful world.

"The accumulation of mutations will eventually affect the characteristics of organisms. It is conceivable that at a certain period of time, the rainforest falcon took on many different forms, including the type with strong wings and flying higher in the sky, and the type that developed the ability to fly higher in the sky. The webs that swim in the water, the types of fish that they prey on, these rainforest falcons with different tendencies live together in this demiplane, dividing different populations."

Reiner's narration seemed to paint a picture of different birds soaring in the sky, and the demiplane of Erasmus was harmonious, but no one knew that in the near future, earth-shaking changes would occur here.

"The next step is the change of environment. The climate of the demiplane of Erasmus has undergone a sudden change. At first, most of the rainforest falcons can continue to survive, but as the four seasons change to storms and scorching droughts, many This type of Rainforest Falcon began to be unable to adapt to the environment and eventually died. These different populations of Rainforest Falcons began to gradually decrease. In the end, only one type, the ancestors of the Rainforest Falcons seen today, survived. This process, I will Call it natural selection.”

Natural selection is not limited to changes in the environment. The invasion of alien species and even human activities can lead to the extinction of species. Selection is like a sieve, retaining traits that are suitable for the environment and sifting away those that are not suitable.

"Of course, these surviving falcons cannot yet be called rainforest falcons. If they want to continue to adapt to the environment of the Erasmus demiplane in the next hundreds of years, they still need an important step, and that is To maintain the stability of blood factors, unlike humans, animals can independently control the reproduction process. If they are not restrained, the remaining traits will easily be diluted and new species will not be formed."

Reiner thought about what the pure-blood faction did. In fact, to a certain extent, they were indeed maintaining the purity of their bloodline.

"So, there will be isolation between the new species and the old species, whether it is geographical isolation or reproductive isolation that cannot produce offspring. Only when the falcons of the Erasmus demiplane cannot produce offspring with other falcons. In one generation, this species has truly evolved into a new species, the rainforest falcon."

Genius website address:. Mobile version reading URL: