Ancestor Quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson
“Artificial selection turned the wolf into the shepherd, and the wild grasses into wheat and corn. In fact, almost every plant and animal that we eat today was bred from a wild, less edible ancestor. If artificial selection can work such profound changes in only ten or fifteen thousand years, what can natural selection do operating over billions of years? The answer is all the beauty and diversity of life.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public lecture on evolution, 2014
Artificial selection shows how humans can reshape species quickly, suggesting natural selection over billions of years creates far greater diversity and complexity.
In simple terms: Humans can quickly change species; nature does it over eons.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the power of natural selection.
Themes
evolution
human influence
diversity
Mood
curious
reflective
Type
educational
inspirational
When to use this quote
- agricultural breeding
- conservation
- education
- policy making
Key Concepts
genetics
adaptation
selective pressure
Questions to Reflect On
- How does artificial selection illustrate natural selection?
- What responsibilities arise from reshaping life?
A Different Perspective
Human-directed changes are limited compared to natural processes.
![“They [scientists of centuries past] call on God only from the lonely and precarious edge of incomprehension. Where they feel certain about their explanations, however, God gets hardly a mention.” quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0b0/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_century_they-scientists-of-centuries-past-call-o_12921.jpg)
