Jan 1, 2026 03:15 PM
Evidence of Evolution in Brain Structure and Behavior in Living Organisms
Have you ever seen a lizard or an insect followed by a group of its young? Immediately after hatching, each offspring makes its own way without any parental care. In contrast, birds and mammals take care of their young after they are born. Another example: try raising fish in a tank. With the exception of whales and dolphins—or even insects, lizards, and reptiles—you won’t sense any affection or friendship toward you, unlike birds or mammals, which show attachment and emotional bonds with those who raise them.
In some primitive organisms, there may be a form of “limited care” before hatching or birth, such as protecting eggs, building cocoons, or preparing nests. But this ends entirely at the moment of hatching, after which no bond remains between the offspring and the parents. This is why you cannot raise ants or spiders and expect them to show affection or friendship toward you—their level of care is confined to the pre-birth or pre-hatching stage only. Birds and mammals, by contrast, extend their care and attachment beyond birth and continue it for a long time.
Now, how is this evidence of evolution? If we examine the brains of these creatures, we find a deep layer present in all of them: the Reptilian Brain, responsible for basic survival instincts such as breathing, eating, fleeing, and reproduction. In primitive organisms, this layer is the highest and only one. In more advanced creatures, however, it exists deep inside but is surrounded by additional layers.
The second layer is the Limbic System in the midbrain, responsible for primitive emotions like fear, anger, and reward, and perhaps some instinctive care before birth. It provides a foundation for emotion but is limited compared to the higher cerebral cortex.
Finally, in the most evolved organisms, the Cerebral Cortex appears as a third layer, covering the top of the brain and both hemispheres, adding the capacity for empathy, care, and ongoing social communication. Each new layer builds upon the previous one, much like constructing a house: bricks first, then cement, and finally decoration—each layer adding a new dimension to behavior and emotion.
Looking at examples, we can see the effects of these layers: insects have no relationship with their offspring after hatching, and reptiles are the same—the young immediately fend for themselves. Birds and mammals, however, demonstrate care, learning, and long-term social interaction.
This progression—from the reptilian brain, to the limbic system, to the cortex—and the way they are arranged (first layer common to all, second layer above it, then the more advanced third layer, with increasingly folded cortex in more empathetic and cooperative species) is living evidence of evolution. Each layer appeared later and added a new function, all pointing to a common origin of organisms. The functional accumulation of layers illustrates how the brain evolved anatomically in the same sequence across vertebrates. If creation were separate, these centers could have appeared randomly anywhere in the brain or side by side, but instead, the orderly arrangement shows layer upon layer, much like construction or sedimentary strata in geology: the bottom layer is the oldest, followed by the next, and so on—demonstrating temporal and cumulative progression.
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Regards,
Always Giving
Have you ever seen a lizard or an insect followed by a group of its young? Immediately after hatching, each offspring makes its own way without any parental care. In contrast, birds and mammals take care of their young after they are born. Another example: try raising fish in a tank. With the exception of whales and dolphins—or even insects, lizards, and reptiles—you won’t sense any affection or friendship toward you, unlike birds or mammals, which show attachment and emotional bonds with those who raise them.
In some primitive organisms, there may be a form of “limited care” before hatching or birth, such as protecting eggs, building cocoons, or preparing nests. But this ends entirely at the moment of hatching, after which no bond remains between the offspring and the parents. This is why you cannot raise ants or spiders and expect them to show affection or friendship toward you—their level of care is confined to the pre-birth or pre-hatching stage only. Birds and mammals, by contrast, extend their care and attachment beyond birth and continue it for a long time.
Now, how is this evidence of evolution? If we examine the brains of these creatures, we find a deep layer present in all of them: the Reptilian Brain, responsible for basic survival instincts such as breathing, eating, fleeing, and reproduction. In primitive organisms, this layer is the highest and only one. In more advanced creatures, however, it exists deep inside but is surrounded by additional layers.
The second layer is the Limbic System in the midbrain, responsible for primitive emotions like fear, anger, and reward, and perhaps some instinctive care before birth. It provides a foundation for emotion but is limited compared to the higher cerebral cortex.
Finally, in the most evolved organisms, the Cerebral Cortex appears as a third layer, covering the top of the brain and both hemispheres, adding the capacity for empathy, care, and ongoing social communication. Each new layer builds upon the previous one, much like constructing a house: bricks first, then cement, and finally decoration—each layer adding a new dimension to behavior and emotion.
Looking at examples, we can see the effects of these layers: insects have no relationship with their offspring after hatching, and reptiles are the same—the young immediately fend for themselves. Birds and mammals, however, demonstrate care, learning, and long-term social interaction.
This progression—from the reptilian brain, to the limbic system, to the cortex—and the way they are arranged (first layer common to all, second layer above it, then the more advanced third layer, with increasingly folded cortex in more empathetic and cooperative species) is living evidence of evolution. Each layer appeared later and added a new function, all pointing to a common origin of organisms. The functional accumulation of layers illustrates how the brain evolved anatomically in the same sequence across vertebrates. If creation were separate, these centers could have appeared randomly anywhere in the brain or side by side, but instead, the orderly arrangement shows layer upon layer, much like construction or sedimentary strata in geology: the bottom layer is the oldest, followed by the next, and so on—demonstrating temporal and cumulative progression.
---
Regards,
Always Giving