If one isn’t sure that evolution is at play in the way Homo sapiens is evolving, consider foraging.

Many of us are familiar with the nomadic model of foraging. Most kinds of animals forage today. In parts of Africa, animals with hooves must migrate hundreds of miles to accommodate seasonal shifts in drought. “Cave man” lived on what it could catch and kill along with a surprising cuisine of indigenous plants. “Going to the store” meant scrounging in the woods or spending most of a day (sometimes more) hunting smaller animals or collaborating with other Cave Men to catch some protein.

Many thousands of years later Homo learned to grow his own food. Even in the nineteenth century, a significant percentage of Homos grew their own sustenance. However, rather quickly in the last two centuries, Homo has left foot-bound self-sufficiency behind. Homo learned to use a horse – not the first interdependent relationship between species.

Moving along quickly, the horse, then the train, then automobiles, then airplanes, then cruise ships – all had an impact on human foraging. It wasn’t long before foraging meant hunting for a grocery store and even special sharing (like leopards do) in restaurants.

Restaurants have been a mainstay for quite a while but evolution never stops. Homo foraging is pushing restaurants out of business by replacing an in-house meal with food orders delivered by organizations like Grubhub. A common effect on evolution is disease; COVID really pushed delivery services even to include foraging for grocery stores.

Already evolving in delivery services is a humanoid that looks like a minion. This likely will send restaurants the way of shopping malls and storefronts. Just let Alexa know and she’ll do the foraging for you.

It is a common speculation that future phases of evolution will allow the ancestors of Cave Man to sit or lie about while humanoids assume the responsibility for evolution in general, including work, leisure, foraging and social dependency. Perhaps a regenerative physicianoid will discover a drug that prevents bedsores.

Does anyone remember having to forage for a gopher for dinner? Among the greenery on the side of the road, which plants are okay to eat and which plants will poison you?

At least Homos know they will join the other 16,000 extinct creatures that have passed during the Anthropocene Epoch.

Ancient Mariner