The rules of life dictate that a species adapt to an inconstant world, or else. This is true for all life, all the time. Or is it?

Once upon a time there was a crafty quadruped that swung his way out of the African jungle and onto the savanna, whereupon he adapted to become a biped. A more significant step has never been taken. Homo erectus, by the very act of standing up and stepping out, strode into history and changed everything, for all time, for all species, and the entire planet.

He did it initially by following all of Darwin's rules to become the supreme adaptor, the best there ever was. Using his inceasingly complex brain and remarkable hands, with grasping thumbs, he built shelters, crafted tools and weapons, and learned to use fire for heat and cooking. Thus would Homo erectus, and finally Homo sapiens, become the most successful species of all time, the only one to adapt to every ecological niche on the planet. An impressive resume, no doubt! (next photo)