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Well hello there, Pokémon fans, it is I, your resident crackpot theorist, Maniacal Engineer. I apologize for the interruption caused by that upstart, Faba, and, as a token of said apology, I'm coming at you all with a special theory. Today's theory was co-authored by the Section Head of General Pokémon Discussion himself, Enzap, who is much better at biology than I am. Today, we will be discussing Darwinian Evolution in the Pokémon World.
For whatever arbitrary reason, many people assume that, since "evolution" means something different in the world of Pokémon, that the basic Theory of Evolution doesn't apply to that universe. On the contrary, evidence shows that Darwin's theory is indeed at play in the world of Pokémon.
To examine just how Darwinian Evolution is working in the Pokémon World, we'll start with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium defines a series of conditions that would result in allele and genome frequencies remaining constant from one generation to the next perpetually, in other words, a series of conditions which must be fulfilled in order for evolution to not occur and for a species' population to remain "static" and unchanging.
These five conditions are as follows:
1. No mutations.
2. Random mate choice.
3. No Natural Selection.
4. No genetic drift.
5. No gene flow.
If even one of these conditions is not met, some form of genetic changes will occur, which results in evolution, so let's look at these conditions one-by-one to see if any are not being met.
1. No mutations.
In the evolutionary context, mutations are a permanent alteration of genetic coding, resulting from some sort of damage to the DNA of an organism. Something that makes one creature different from others of its species. Antibiotic resistant bacteria are an example of this, as normally bacteria would simply create exact duplicates of itself when reproducing, but, at some point during the process, the DNA was damaged or altered, resulting in a strain of the same bacteria with a resistance to antibiotics.
In the world of Pokémon, such mutations do exist. For example, a Shiny Pokémon is considered to be a genetic mutation, as its DNA was read such that its coloration would be different from others of its kind.
Another example would be the Pikachu, Puka, seen in the early anime episode The Pi-Kahuna. As can be seen in the image below, Puka has blue eyes, while most Pikachu have black eyes.
Puka's blue eyes are a genetic mutation, as no other Pikachu seen in the anime has had blue eyes.
Thus, right from the start, we can see that some form of evolution is indeed occurring in the Pokémon World, but let's press on, shall we?
2. Random mate choice.
According to the theory of evolution, animals, or any creature that reproduces with a mate, select said mate based on specific advantages or preferences. These preferences get passed on more frequently to future generations, as members of the species exhibiting these characteristics are far more likely to pass on their genes to future generations than others. An example of this would be male peacocks, who attract mates with its brightly colored plumage. The brighter and flashier the plumage, the healthier the male is assumed to be, and the more likely that male will find a mate. As such, over time, male peacocks evolved flashier and flashier tails, and male peacocks with duller or drabber plumage became rarer and rarer.
In the world of Pokémon, the Pokémon Unfezant displays a similar tendency to the real life peacock. Female Unfezant remain dull and drab colored, to blend in with their surroundings, but male Unfezant have brightly colored wattles on their faces. This is but one example of sexual dimorphism in the Pokémon World, and it shows that there are preferences that are followed when Pokémon are looking to mate "in the wild."
3. No natural selection.
One of the main driving forces behind the process of evolution is natural selection. Organisms with certain characteristics that are better suited for their environments tend to be able to pass on their genes more frequently than those with characteristics that are detrimental to their environments. Over time, as these characteristics and other characteristics are passed on continuously, a new species is born. If the environment of a species changes, and the species is unable to adapt, that species goes extinct. Essentially, natural selection favors the fittest, and weeds out the weakest. Going back to the example of the antibiotic resistant bacteria from above, when exposed to an antibiotic, those bacterium without a resistance get wiped out, while those that have a resistance survive. Those bacterium reproduce themselves, passing along their genes to the next generations.
Of course, in order for natural selection to occur, species variations must exist. While in the main series games there exists only up to four sprites total for most Pokémon (assuming sexual dimorphism and shiny forms, excluding Mega Evolutions/alternate forms), this is a limitation of the game. No sprite artist wants to create an infinite number of characteristic "combinations" for a given Pokémon, although Spinda's spot locations, even in game, is one example of species variation.
It is much easier to see species variations in the anime, where comparing individuals of a single species can reveal differences. As an example, take the above picture of Puka and compare it to the below image of both Sparky and Ash's Pikachu:
Note how all three have slightly different appearances, but that all of them are, unquestionably, Pikachu.
There is plenty of evidence to suggest natural selection occurs in the Pokémon World. First, species have gone extinct, including, but not nearly limited to, the fossil Pokémon. These relics of the past became extinct either due to changes in their environments or due to evolving characteristics unsuited to their habitat. For example, numerous Pokédex entries for Omastar reference how it is believed to have died out due to its shell being too large for it to move. Kabutops is cited to have moved onto land because its prey had adapted to land life, eventually becoming an entirely new species and dying off as Kabutops, since it could no longer access food in the water.
Furthermore, there are references to co-evolution in both the Seviper and Zangoose rivalry, and the Heatmor and Durant relationship. Durant evolved an armored shell to avoid being eaten, and Heatmor evolved a fiery tongue to melt open that shell.
Alolan forms are another type of natural selection. Most notably, the Rattata population of Alola was getting out of control, so Yungoos was imported to act as a predator. In order to survive, Rattata with specific genetic mutations were favored, as their nocturnal tendencies allowed them to avoid their predators, and, eventually, transformed the once Normal Rattata into the Dark/Normal Alolan Rattata.
Not only is natural selection at play in the world of Pokemon, there is plenty of evidence that shows its existence and what its results are.
4. No genetic drift.
Every species has variants to their genetics, known as alleles. Examples of the influence of alleles in humans would be things like eye color, blood type, and handedness, which are all determined based on multiple chromosomal variations.
Genetic drift, which only occurs in relatively small populations, is the random fluctuation of the frequency of alleles in a given population. For a simple example, assume that you have a population of 10 beetles. 3 green, and 7 tan. Some human comes along and steps on 2 of the green beetles, leaving the others alive. By one simple, random act, the green allele has all but been eradicated. This is an oversimplified example, but it does reflect how external factors, including chance, can influence genetic fluctuations in small populations.
While it is difficult to conclusively prove that genetic drift occurred in the world of Pokémon, one potential theory for how Shellos developed two different forms is that, even before Sinnoh's mountain range rose up to separate the Shellos populations, Shellos already had the genetic variations which would ultimately lead to the new form, but it was recessive. Assuming that all Shellos started out as East Coast Shellos, when the mountain range rose up, perhaps a small population of Shellos were stranded on the west side of the mountain. Within this small population, genetic drift occurred, which resulted in the elimination of the dominant allele and, ultimately, led to the evolution of the West Coast Shellos. Again, this is all speculation.
At the end of the day, however, genetic drift only occurs in small populations. In the games, there are infinite populations of most Pokémon that can be encountered in the wild, as the tall grass never seems to run out of Pokémon. As such, no genetic drift would occur since the population is far too high.
5. No gene flow.
Gene flow occurs when a normally eradicated allele or variation is introduced to a species by a member of a similar species with a different set of alleles immigrating into that population.
For example, assume there is a species of finches on one island, which is normally isolated from other islands. One day, due to a terrible storm, a finch from a different island is blown onto the island, and mates with one of the finches on that island. The other island's finch has introduced new genetic variations to the finches on the first island, which will get passed along to future generations.
The best example of this occurring in the Pokémon World is from the anime, notably the episode Bye Bye Butterfree. In that episode, we see an, as yet unexplained, pink Butterfree, whom Ash's Butterfree is attracted to.
Where did this strange, pink Butterfree come from? Well, while Ash and friends are touring the Orange Islands, they come across an island where all of the native Pokémon are pink, Pinkan Island. While no Butterfree are explicitly shown to live on this island, at least one pink Caterpie is shown.
Caterpie being the basic form of Butterfree, it is not a stretch to say that wild Butterfree do indeed roam on Pinkan Island and would be pink like the other Pokémon on that island. So it is very likely that the pink Butterfree that Ash's Butterfree fell in love with was from Pinkan Island, but had somehow either flown to, or was blown into Kanto, introducing new genetic variant from Pinkan Island into the Kanto Butterfree population.
Lastly, as we all know, in order for evolution to occur, there must be a common ancestor that all life stemmed from. Enter Mew, a Pokémon said to have the genetic composition of all Pokémon, and who is believed to be the ancestor of all Pokémon. While Mew may not be the "common ancestor" for all life, Mew is the most likely the earliest example of "Pokémon" life forms on the planet, and it does prove that common ancestry does exist in the world of Pokémon.
And there you have it, an actual serious theory that is backed by evidence from multiple media. I'm just as shocked as you all are. That said, this is still just a theory, so here are some questions to consider to get conversation rolling. You don't have to answer all of them or any of them in your post as long as you're staying on topic and within global forum rules.
For whatever arbitrary reason, many people assume that, since "evolution" means something different in the world of Pokémon, that the basic Theory of Evolution doesn't apply to that universe. On the contrary, evidence shows that Darwin's theory is indeed at play in the world of Pokémon.
To examine just how Darwinian Evolution is working in the Pokémon World, we'll start with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium defines a series of conditions that would result in allele and genome frequencies remaining constant from one generation to the next perpetually, in other words, a series of conditions which must be fulfilled in order for evolution to not occur and for a species' population to remain "static" and unchanging.
These five conditions are as follows:
1. No mutations.
2. Random mate choice.
3. No Natural Selection.
4. No genetic drift.
5. No gene flow.
If even one of these conditions is not met, some form of genetic changes will occur, which results in evolution, so let's look at these conditions one-by-one to see if any are not being met.
1. No mutations.
In the evolutionary context, mutations are a permanent alteration of genetic coding, resulting from some sort of damage to the DNA of an organism. Something that makes one creature different from others of its species. Antibiotic resistant bacteria are an example of this, as normally bacteria would simply create exact duplicates of itself when reproducing, but, at some point during the process, the DNA was damaged or altered, resulting in a strain of the same bacteria with a resistance to antibiotics.
In the world of Pokémon, such mutations do exist. For example, a Shiny Pokémon is considered to be a genetic mutation, as its DNA was read such that its coloration would be different from others of its kind.
Another example would be the Pikachu, Puka, seen in the early anime episode The Pi-Kahuna. As can be seen in the image below, Puka has blue eyes, while most Pikachu have black eyes.
Thus, right from the start, we can see that some form of evolution is indeed occurring in the Pokémon World, but let's press on, shall we?
2. Random mate choice.
According to the theory of evolution, animals, or any creature that reproduces with a mate, select said mate based on specific advantages or preferences. These preferences get passed on more frequently to future generations, as members of the species exhibiting these characteristics are far more likely to pass on their genes to future generations than others. An example of this would be male peacocks, who attract mates with its brightly colored plumage. The brighter and flashier the plumage, the healthier the male is assumed to be, and the more likely that male will find a mate. As such, over time, male peacocks evolved flashier and flashier tails, and male peacocks with duller or drabber plumage became rarer and rarer.
In the world of Pokémon, the Pokémon Unfezant displays a similar tendency to the real life peacock. Female Unfezant remain dull and drab colored, to blend in with their surroundings, but male Unfezant have brightly colored wattles on their faces. This is but one example of sexual dimorphism in the Pokémon World, and it shows that there are preferences that are followed when Pokémon are looking to mate "in the wild."
3. No natural selection.
One of the main driving forces behind the process of evolution is natural selection. Organisms with certain characteristics that are better suited for their environments tend to be able to pass on their genes more frequently than those with characteristics that are detrimental to their environments. Over time, as these characteristics and other characteristics are passed on continuously, a new species is born. If the environment of a species changes, and the species is unable to adapt, that species goes extinct. Essentially, natural selection favors the fittest, and weeds out the weakest. Going back to the example of the antibiotic resistant bacteria from above, when exposed to an antibiotic, those bacterium without a resistance get wiped out, while those that have a resistance survive. Those bacterium reproduce themselves, passing along their genes to the next generations.
Of course, in order for natural selection to occur, species variations must exist. While in the main series games there exists only up to four sprites total for most Pokémon (assuming sexual dimorphism and shiny forms, excluding Mega Evolutions/alternate forms), this is a limitation of the game. No sprite artist wants to create an infinite number of characteristic "combinations" for a given Pokémon, although Spinda's spot locations, even in game, is one example of species variation.
It is much easier to see species variations in the anime, where comparing individuals of a single species can reveal differences. As an example, take the above picture of Puka and compare it to the below image of both Sparky and Ash's Pikachu:
There is plenty of evidence to suggest natural selection occurs in the Pokémon World. First, species have gone extinct, including, but not nearly limited to, the fossil Pokémon. These relics of the past became extinct either due to changes in their environments or due to evolving characteristics unsuited to their habitat. For example, numerous Pokédex entries for Omastar reference how it is believed to have died out due to its shell being too large for it to move. Kabutops is cited to have moved onto land because its prey had adapted to land life, eventually becoming an entirely new species and dying off as Kabutops, since it could no longer access food in the water.
Furthermore, there are references to co-evolution in both the Seviper and Zangoose rivalry, and the Heatmor and Durant relationship. Durant evolved an armored shell to avoid being eaten, and Heatmor evolved a fiery tongue to melt open that shell.
Alolan forms are another type of natural selection. Most notably, the Rattata population of Alola was getting out of control, so Yungoos was imported to act as a predator. In order to survive, Rattata with specific genetic mutations were favored, as their nocturnal tendencies allowed them to avoid their predators, and, eventually, transformed the once Normal Rattata into the Dark/Normal Alolan Rattata.
Not only is natural selection at play in the world of Pokemon, there is plenty of evidence that shows its existence and what its results are.
4. No genetic drift.
Every species has variants to their genetics, known as alleles. Examples of the influence of alleles in humans would be things like eye color, blood type, and handedness, which are all determined based on multiple chromosomal variations.
Genetic drift, which only occurs in relatively small populations, is the random fluctuation of the frequency of alleles in a given population. For a simple example, assume that you have a population of 10 beetles. 3 green, and 7 tan. Some human comes along and steps on 2 of the green beetles, leaving the others alive. By one simple, random act, the green allele has all but been eradicated. This is an oversimplified example, but it does reflect how external factors, including chance, can influence genetic fluctuations in small populations.
While it is difficult to conclusively prove that genetic drift occurred in the world of Pokémon, one potential theory for how Shellos developed two different forms is that, even before Sinnoh's mountain range rose up to separate the Shellos populations, Shellos already had the genetic variations which would ultimately lead to the new form, but it was recessive. Assuming that all Shellos started out as East Coast Shellos, when the mountain range rose up, perhaps a small population of Shellos were stranded on the west side of the mountain. Within this small population, genetic drift occurred, which resulted in the elimination of the dominant allele and, ultimately, led to the evolution of the West Coast Shellos. Again, this is all speculation.
At the end of the day, however, genetic drift only occurs in small populations. In the games, there are infinite populations of most Pokémon that can be encountered in the wild, as the tall grass never seems to run out of Pokémon. As such, no genetic drift would occur since the population is far too high.
5. No gene flow.
Gene flow occurs when a normally eradicated allele or variation is introduced to a species by a member of a similar species with a different set of alleles immigrating into that population.
For example, assume there is a species of finches on one island, which is normally isolated from other islands. One day, due to a terrible storm, a finch from a different island is blown onto the island, and mates with one of the finches on that island. The other island's finch has introduced new genetic variations to the finches on the first island, which will get passed along to future generations.
The best example of this occurring in the Pokémon World is from the anime, notably the episode Bye Bye Butterfree. In that episode, we see an, as yet unexplained, pink Butterfree, whom Ash's Butterfree is attracted to.
Lastly, as we all know, in order for evolution to occur, there must be a common ancestor that all life stemmed from. Enter Mew, a Pokémon said to have the genetic composition of all Pokémon, and who is believed to be the ancestor of all Pokémon. While Mew may not be the "common ancestor" for all life, Mew is the most likely the earliest example of "Pokémon" life forms on the planet, and it does prove that common ancestry does exist in the world of Pokémon.
And there you have it, an actual serious theory that is backed by evidence from multiple media. I'm just as shocked as you all are. That said, this is still just a theory, so here are some questions to consider to get conversation rolling. You don't have to answer all of them or any of them in your post as long as you're staying on topic and within global forum rules.
- Do you agree or disagree with this theory?
- Outside of the main series Pokémon Games, what evidence can you find that either supports or disproves this theory?
- What other in-game evidence can you find that supports this theory?
- What in-game evidence disproves this theory?
- Do you believe that Mew is the ancestor of all Pokémon?
- What's your favorite theory about different variants of the same Pokémon?
- Should ME team up with Enzap more often when writing theories, so that his theories are more coherent?
- What other types of theories would you like to see discussed in a future ME's Crackpot Theory Corner?
