Part 2/13:
Key Drivers of Evolution:
Food: The primary force—those who can find, obtain, and control food sources have higher survival and reproductive success.
Environmental Change: Climate shifts, volcanic activity, cosmic rays, and other environmental factors periodically reset evolutionary progress.
Predation and Disease: Natural predators and internal/external disease pressures continually shape our genetic makeup.
Genetic Variations: Mutations and recombinations create the raw material upon which natural selection acts, although mutations occur relatively rarely compared to the speed of gene flow and recombination.