Why can’t we fly or Breathe Underwater?

Hello learners,

Around 70% of Earth’s surface is covered by water, yet humans live on land. Countless species live in oceans, lakes, and rivers. Rest living on the surface, with some decent traits.

Fish swim effortlessly, birds fly in the sky, and bats navigate with echolocation. Every organism has evolved features that suit its environment and increase its chances of survival and reproduction.

Take a look at some iconic examples:

Birds = Fly

Lion = Hunt 

Fish = Swim

Bats = Eco-locates 

Chamaleon = Change color 

Elephants = Memory

Each of these features has evolved under specific environmental pressures; we, in general, know it as an evolutionary pressure!

Now, ask yourself: what physical superpower do humans have—excluding intelligence?

Not much, right?

The answer lies in a key evolutionary concept: lack of evolutionary pressure.

Our early ancestors walked on four legs and had no idea how to use fire or make tools.

As they moved across the African grasslands, they needed to see further and run faster to hunt or escape danger. So they learned to stand upright and walk on two legs.

However, it took thousands of generations to do so! But we needed those traits! And nature has given us for better survival, reproduction and development.

A few more million years, and we evolved more traits— we needed them!

With time, we gained skills we truly needed—dexterous hands, upright posture, and most importantly, intelligence. And that intelligence changed everything.

When the first humans reached the edge of Africa— the ocean, they knew they couldn’t swim across it. So we built boats.

We couldn't fly, so we invented airplanes. We needed warmth, so we discovered fire. Instead of evolving wings, gills, or night vision, we developed tools to overcome those challenges.

This tool-making ability reduced the pressure on our biology to evolve extreme physical traits. Why would nature give us wings if we already fly with machines?

In essence, our intelligence replaced the need for physical evolution in many areas. Since there’s no survival pressure pushing us to breathe underwater or fly naturally, those traits didn’t evolve in us.

This prevented mutation rate and natural selection; resultantly, our DNA didn’t evolve to develop such traits.

Now, what’s the philosophy behind that?

The lack of self-belief. Seeing the huge ocean, we doubted, we couldn’t cross it!

We thought we couldn’t swim far, fly, or hunt like wild predators. So instead of evolving those traits, we looked for tools, built alternatives, and found solutions.

Because we didn’t truly need those abilities, nature never gave them to us.
But had we believed we needed them—and trusted in that belief—evolution might have responded.

Our self-beliefs are what fuel our innovation. When we believe we can't do something, we invent a way to make it possible. But in doing so, we also reduce nature’s push to evolve us physically.

So here’s the takeaway:

Nature gives us what we truly need to survive. And if we stop needing something—because we’ve built a tool for it—nature stops evolving us in that direction. Still, if we ever needed to fly naturally, and had no tools to do so, nature might just find a way… over a few million years!

So, trust your self-belief. What we imagine and look for! Nature always gives us, it is just a matter of time.

Believe in yourself! Nothing will stop you.

I hope you enjoyed the reading!

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Stay curious,
Dr. Tushar Chauhan
Genetic Education Academy

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