The English word "evolve" comes from a Latin word, used years before the familiar Darwinian connotation took over, meaning "unroll." As individuals, we don't evolve -- it's genes that evolve -- but as our lives unroll, we can see and feel the influence of natural selection at every stage, from birth to death.
The signs of evolution are most easily discerned at key points. When we reproduce, we are exposed to selection; when we develop as a fetus and as a child, selection is ever-present, shaping us. Even when we fall in love and marry, the effect of selection can be seen. And it can be seen, of course, when we fall ill and as we get older. For it is by this mechanism that selection has the final word, over who lives and who dies.
By looking at these stages in the light of evolutionary explanation, we can understand features of our lives that are otherwise mysterious. Why is the womb constructed in a way that seems almost parasitic? Why are certain men more attractive? Why do our brains change and our emotions change when we are teenagers? Why do children bully each other? Why are some people obese? Why do our brains start to perform less efficiently when we get old?
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.