How did genders evolve?

[anteaterzot]

Hi all,

I do not know much about evolution and I have a few questions for the evolutionists on this board.

When the single-celled organism that reproduced by division finally became an organism that reproduced by sex (after a billion years of "evolving"), was it a fetus or an adult human (or ape, as you might say)?

I don't understand (and I can't find it on the internet) how an organism can continue to perpetuate its species through division while simultaneously transforming into a new organism of separate genders that procreate through sexual reproduction. Now, if a single species could live to be a billion years old, I might understand how it could transform that much during a lifetime, but nothing can live that long.

A human fetus requires both parents to create it through sex. It requires the mothers womb to grow into a baby which is capable of living and breathing outside the womb, and then also requires the mother's care for several years of its infant life, until it can care for itself (these days, about 30 years).

 

[Tomk80]

Hi all,

I do not know much about evolution and I have a few questions for the evolutionists on this board.

When the single-celled organism that reproduced by division finally became an organism that reproduced by sex (after a billion years of "evolving"), was it a fetus or an adult human (or ape, as you might say)?

Neither. Sex differences evolved way before humans or apes did. When humans and apes evolved, sex differences already existed for millions of years.

I don't understand (and I can't find it on the internet) how an organism can continue to perpetuate its species through division while simultaneously transforming into a new organism of separate genders that procreate through sexual reproduction. Now, if a single species could live to be a billion years old, I might understand how it could transform that much during a lifetime, but nothing can live that long.

To get some idea on this, you might want to start reading up on organisms that reproduce both sexually and asexually. Fungi, quite few plants, and even some animals do so. So you might want to start your search there.

A human fetus requires both parents to create it through sex. It requires the mothers womb to grow into a baby which is capable of living and breathing outside the womb, and then also requires the mother's care for several years of its infant life, until it can care for itself (these days, about 30 years).

Humans are not the only species alive. Many different creatures have many different ways of reproducing. So you might want to start reading up on this.

Realize that sexual reproduction did not evolve in humans. Sexual reproduction already existed for a long time, and the ancestors of humans already sexually reproduced. So if you want to know how sexual reproduction evolved, don't look at humans. You might gain some insight into this if you look at volvox (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvox#Reproduction).

 

[MrsLurking]

Hi all,

I do not know much about evolution and I have a few questions for the evolutionists on this board.

When the single-celled organism that reproduced by division finally became an organism that reproduced by sex (after a billion years of "evolving"), was it a fetus or an adult human (or ape, as you might say)?

I don't understand (and I can't find it on the internet) how an organism can continue to perpetuate its species through division while simultaneously transforming into a new organism of separate genders that procreate through sexual reproduction. Now, if a single species could live to be a billion years old, I might understand how it could transform that much during a lifetime, but nothing can live that long.

A human fetus requires both parents to create it through sex. It requires the mothers womb to grow into a baby which is capable of living and breathing outside the womb, and then also requires the mother's care for several years of its infant life, until it can care for itself (these days, about 30 years).

I don't have time to fully address your question but I'll quickly suggest a helpful way to start thinking about this topic:

Many organisms reproduce using both sexual and asexual means. If my memory is holding up, these include some types of molds, ocean anemones,starfish, aphids, and many plants---as well as various single-celled life forms in which you might have expected to find the earliest example of sexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction can be very efficient for rapid multiplication in large numbers but sexual reproduction will start appearing in some populations when conditions are more harsh and MUTATIONS allow the organism to quickly evolve and adapt in order to find more successful survival strategies. So when you ask about the origins of genders (and, by the way, some organisms have LARGE NUMBERS OF GENDERS!), you are looking at evolutionary processes which didn't suddenly arise in a particular human, or mammal, or even some organism for which "gender" would be readily apparent to the casual observer.

You might want to start with Google or even the Wikipedia article on reproduction. I've found that many creationists bring up the topic of sexual reproduction because they assume it poses some kind of "mystery" of problem for evolution. I'm baffled by that assumption, seeing how it is difficult to see how the rise of sexual reproduction in the history of evolution could hardly be considered surprising. But to explain that, you will first have to do some basic self-education online. (Indeed, Googling "How did genders evolve?" will probably provide many good articles. You might even try Youtube for some tutorials.)

It is worth mentioning that sometimes skeptics will post "big questions" on CF which really deserve a semester-long treatment as part of a biology curriculum. There's all kinds of complex topics for which only a full immersion can give a rigorous understanding. And that is why it is particularly inane when hecklers who are science-illiterates presume to "correct" and tutor trained scientists who are world-leaders on various topics. Not many D students in arithmetic would presume to scold and instruct Ph.D. professors by saying that differential equations and Fourier Transforms don't exist and are "stupid"----but we regularly witness biology-simpletons attempting to overrule the science academy about evolution, in much the same ways. To understand this behiavor, check out the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

I hope the above will help get you started.

 

[keith99]

^^

Heck I see Creationists bringing up the Eye as an example of something that no supporter of Darwinian Evolution has ever addressed. Of course in a way they may be right. No supporter would think of addressing that issue since Darwin dealt with it in great detail in "The Origin of Species".

An interesting aside. I have a lot of fruit bearing plants. Apples are interesting as most trees are both male and female. Producing pollen and being able to be fertilized by it. But many are not self fertile, or have limited self fertility. Limited self fertility has some huge advantages. If no other apple trees are present then there are some ofspring. But if ther are others then the mixing of traits occurs, giving a good chance of finding some combimation better suited to the environment.

I also jsut got some Muskadine Grapes. In that plant what are called male are plants that can produce pollen and grapes. The Females can produce grapes, but not pollen. So males do not need the females. In apples the similar situation does not lead to differetn gender classifications. Trees in ht esame situation are simply called pollen sterile. (And have a triploid genetic makeup).

 

[Lethe]

I'm sure you mean, "sex."

 

[chilehed]

How did genders evolve?

Ask a linguist.

 

[DennisTate]

I'm sure you mean, "sex."

Dr. Chaim Henry Tejman has written some intriguing information that may be related to the evolution of sex differences??!!


Wave Theory and Gender: Why Sex

"Pulling and gravitation, which resemble basic feminine traits, are the dominant properties of the magnetic loop. Consequently, magnetic loops have a capacity for storing energy and act to maintain the structural integrity of the entire wave formation. The electronic/energetic loop consists of expanding properties that disperse energetic matter that “disappears” into space. This is synonymous with masculine characteristics." (Dr. Chaim Tejman)

.Grand Unified Theory: Wave Theory and Life

"The essential matter from which our universe is created is energetic matter. It behaves like living matter, creating every known entity, including living objects and even thought (which occurs through energetic matter–wave interaction). The essential structure of energetic matter is high-energy (concentrated energetic matter) electro-magnetic waves (picture above). This simple structure is the basis of everything: every energetic formation and the universe. In picture 2, we see that the DNA (double helix) of all living formations has the same structure as waves: two loops of the same energetic matter, behaving according to the same rules." (Dr. Chaim Tejman)

 

[DennisTate]

Hi all,

I do not know much about evolution and I have a few questions for the evolutionists on this board.

When the single-celled organism that reproduced by division finally became an organism that reproduced by sex (after a billion years of "evolving"), was it a fetus or an adult human (or ape, as you might say)?

I don't understand (and I can't find it on the internet) how an organism can continue to perpetuate its species through division while simultaneously transforming into a new organism of separate genders that procreate through sexual reproduction. Now, if a single species could live to be a billion years old, I might understand how it could transform that much during a lifetime, but nothing can live that long.

A human fetus requires both parents to create it through sex. It requires the mothers womb to grow into a baby which is capable of living and breathing outside the womb, and then also requires the mother's care for several years of its infant life, until it can care for itself (these days, about 30 years).

I personally am inclined to think that Genesis 1:27 can be taken back to infinite time in the past as an analogy to what human life begins like in the womb....as similar to how God evolved over infinite time as God planned and organized an infinite number of Big Bang events previous to our most recent Big Bang that may well have taken place about 13.72 billion years ago. "So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Dogmatic Atheists Lack Mathematical Aptitude.