"In the Blink of an Eye"

Andrew Parker, "In the Blink of an Eye ---The Cause of the Most Dramatic Event in the History of Life---", 2003, The Free Press, London
「The balance between camouflage and conspicuousness lies behind every case of purposeful colouration in nature. Whether the colour seen is conspicuous or inconspicuous indicates the way the balance has tilted. This is the direction of evolution --- the direction with the greatest difference between positive and negative selective pressures.」（p.96）
「They do all occupy the same forest, but they divide up the height or profile of the plant life into microenvironments based on light conditions, including ultraviolet content. And the colours of each species are adapted exactly to the light of their specific microenvironment. So in each microenvironment, one type of clouration will be most adaptive, and the owners of that colouration will be the most successful there.」（p.100）
「A problem faced in mid-water is how to appear camouflaged from both above and below. From below, a fish is viewed against a light background ---the sky. From above it is viewed against the darkness of the deep.」（p.104）
「Countershading is a possibility for fish because generally they remain horizontal. But some animals vary their orientation. Jellyfish often roll around in the water and effectively have no upper and lower sruface. They lack the sophistication in hardware and software to handle chromatophores and are often left with only one option to help them blend into their background --- tranparency.」（p.104/105）
→A problem faced in the middle class is how to appear camouflaged and/or conspicuous from both above and below. From below, the middle-class are viewed against power --- the ruling class. From above it is viewed against the darkness of the poverty. Countershading has been a possibility for the middle-class because generally they have remained horizontal. But some personel vary their orientation today. They often roll around in the society and effectively have no upper and lower surface. They lack the sophistication in hardware and software to handle communication and sovereignty, and are often left with only one option to help them blend into their background --- transparency.「Again, in this chapter I place emphasis on the predator-prey scenario because the first rule of survival is to avoide becoming a meal. So this interaction is as important as it gets.」（p.120）
「On land, the transition from light to almost dark happens quickly, during sunset or at dusk. So few animals on land are adapted to anything other than light or almost dark conditions. But in the sea there is another transition from light to dark --- a transition in space. Marine animals can be compared from different depth ranges, living under different light levels.」（p.120/121）
→「But in the sea there is another transition from light to dark --- a transition in space. Marine animals can be compared from different depth ranges, living under different light levels.」（p.121）
「The potential niches available diminishe drastically.」（p.133）
「The first eyed proto-trilobites must have been frustrated individuals. They had a taste of meat and were feeding on whatever scraps they came across on the sea floor, probably detecting the chemicals wafting from decaying 'food'. But now they could literally see a far greater potential. They saw their soft-bodied neighbours, from all animal phyla, as chunks of protein, or potential meals. But they had neither the mobility nor the jaws to capture and kill all of them. They needed to swim to capture those floating forms, and they needed stabbing mouth-parts or limbs to perform their acts of murder. In other words, they needed hard parts. But considering the potential for proto-trilobites to take over the world, the selective pressures for hard parts were massive. And hard parts and active predation would follow, very quickly. soon, proto-trilobites would become trilobites.」（p.276）
→The first well-trained proto-well-to-do-teachers must have been frustrated individuals. They had a taste of know-how and were feeding on whatever scraps they came across in and around school, probably detecting the information wafting from various kinds of sources. But now they could literally see a far greater potential. They saw their simpleminded neighbours, from all subjects, as chunks of know-how, or potential Inteligent Property. But they had neither the mobility nor the technologies to capture and absorb all of them. They needed to move to capture those floating know-how, and they needed communication technologies to perform their acts of absorption. In other words, they needed connections. But considering the potential for well-trained teachers to take over the educational community, the selective pressures for connections were massive. And connections and active absorption would follow, very quickly. Soon, proto-well-to-do teachers would become well-to-do teachers.
「One cannot 'urge on' evolution, even if one thinks one knows better. So as selective pressures for active predatory lifestyles mounted on the proto-trilobites, so did selective pressures for countermeasures build up on the other multicelled animals.」（p.277）
「Evolution is a balance, and the balance will not continue to tilt one way. With the exception of extinction, it continuously levels.」（p.277）
「when niches are filled there is stability in the system, a stability which resists change.」（p.281）
→Are we in change, or already in stability again?