Question

In evolutionary terms, can we say which among bacteria, spiders, fish and chimpanzees have a 'better' body design? Why or why not?

Answer 1

In evolutionary terms, all the organisms we see today have evolved in millions of years because they were fitter and better compared to their ancestors. All of them have evolved according to the habitats they occupy or the ecological role they play. For example, bacteria is a very simple unicellular organism that can survive even in extreme conditions and multiply to increase its population in a couple of hours. On the other hand, if we see a more complex organism like a chimpanzee, even though it has a stronger body or limbs; it requires a longer time period to reproduce and increase its population size.

Hence, from an evolutionary point of view, it will be inaccurate to say which organism among bacteria, spiders, fish, and chimpanzees has a 'better' body design. Each one of these organisms is better than the other in some manner or the other. Each one is ecologically important for the place they occupy in a food chain and the habitat they have evolved for.