User blog:Theory of everything/Grimm Speculations Part Two: Evolution and Transformation

Wesen Evolution and Transformation--

According to Grimm, the Wesen live amongst us. How did they evolve? Where was their origin? How and why did they migrate to America? What do they want? What is in store for their and humankind’s future? Lets speculate by first imagining how the Wesen may have evolved based upon our own understanding of evolution.

Evolution--

Organisms can evolve in eight basic ways.

1. Variation-- Evolution influenced by the environment.

The Wesen we have seen in Grimm have all seem to have adapted well to their environment. However, they all have one thing in common, they are all creatures of the forest. This of course makes sense as the basis for all the episodes we see on Grimm is from folklore. Primarily German folklore as depicted by the Brothers Grimm and/or Aesop’s Fables. Most of their stories were set in the forests of places such as Bavaria in southern Germany. These forests are notoriously thick and spooky, so thus set a great atmospheric environment for tales of suspense.

However, such an environment would also prove inaccessible to many other non-creature species (Human) thus allowing Wesen to evolve, procreate, and survive away from any human interference.

2. Mutation-- Mutations result in a change in the DNA cell genome. In essence, the raw material of the new genes source exists due to pre-existing genes from a common ancestor.

If the Wesen evolved in this way, that could throw some doubt on the variation theory. Were they once a separate animalistic species that did encounter human ancestors millions of years ago? Was their mutation a result of their new genes “mixed in” with human DNA?

Might this explain how they are able to “morph” into a human shape because they in essence a “part of the human family?”

Natural Selection-- This results when a genetic mutation enables a species to remain but another species becomes extinct.

Were there once Wesen who could NOT shape shift into human form, whose behavioral traits were near-human, but became extinct? Were they hunted to their extinction by primitive human Grimms eons ago, so only the Wesen descendents, who were able to mutate and shape shift into human form for camouflage, able to survive?

Adaptation-- A process that makes organisms better suited to their environment.

This process would seem be more recent (at least in evolutionary time) as Wesen began to migrate to the human urban areas and began to successfully adapt and blend in.

In fact, they may have blended in almost too well. It appears they not only live and work amongst humans but are in positions of power and have apparently been prominent in shaping human history. Adolph Hitler has been shown to be a Wesen and it has been suggested so was President John F. Kennedy.

Co-Evolution-- This is an interaction between organisms that can develop a match set of adaptations. The possible inter-species breeding may result in a mixture of traits for the species to survive. What kind of Wesen would result in the mating of a Blutbad and a Fuchsbau?

Speciation-- A process in which a species diverge into two or more descendent species. (See Above)

Extinction-- The disappearance of an entire species, in which the Wesen may be in danger from either a natural threat (disease), a natural internal species conflict (example: Hexenbeist/Mellifer), the threat of an all out species war, or from another species altogether, (A Grimm).

Competitive Exclusion-- If one species can out-compete another for limited resources the species that survives will be better adapted. (Only the Fittest will survive). This maybe one of the sources of the upcoming Wesen “War” that has been alluded to on Grimm.

Wesen and Humans: A Co-Evolution?--

As speculated earlier, are the Wesen related to humans? Are they a descendent or are we a descendent of them? This maybe why they are able to “appear” as human in as they are essentially human.

We know in our own evolution the oldest known “modern” humans were the Cro-Magnons from 25,000-45,000 years ago.

The Neanderthals were a sub-species (separate species) of humans but disappeared off the evolutionary map around 30-25,000 years ago.

One theory behind their extinction was due to human interaction either through inter-breeding (disappeared through absorption) and/or genocide.

Were the interbreeding between primitive humans and primitive Wesen a result of the modern Wesen we see featured on Grimm? Will Wesen face eventual extinction from the hunting by the Grimms?

Psychotropic Evolution-- Was the evolution of the Wesen the result of ingesting natural psychoactive herbs, “loco” weeds, mushrooms, and other various flora and fauna that can be found in abundance throughout the forest?

We have had several episodes of Grimm that might suggest this. From the eating of toads by Ziegvolk Billy Capra, (South American toads secrete an hallucinogen and Sonora River toads in Mexico secrete a defensive poison from its skin that contain hallucinogenic tryptamines called bufo alurius), to the use of specialized concoctions the various Wesen use for anything from “getting high” (Skalengelks) to the casting of “spells” (Hexenbeist Adalind Schade).

It has been suggested that human ancestors used a variety of natural hallucogenics and as a result, human brain chemistry changed and evolved, maybe even expediting the evolution. Why not the same for Wesen? Through the use of natural stimuli could they not have evolved their inherent “animal abilities” with a more human disposition and intelligence?

A Spiritual Evolution?--

Are Wesen not actually physical? Are they the spirits of the various creatures in human form instead?

The Navajo and South American Indians had the legends of “Skin-Walkers”, the spirits of animals, dead or alive, that reportedly could morph into a human and walk amongst us.

Or maybe normal humans are “possessed” by the animal spirits permently or temporarily, as was suggested by the “spirit of the Hexenbeist” leaving Adalind Schade after ingesting the blood of a Grimm in a recent Grimm episode.

The Wesen Threat?--

It is obvious the Wesen have been considered a threat to humankind for centuries, which explains their reluctance to reveal themselves to humans. After all, their ancestors have been hunted down and killed in the past by humans in general and Grimms in specific. According to the writings of Crawford Grimm and the explanations of Marie Kessler, there may have been reasons why the Wesen have been and are a continued threat to humanity. Grimm records indicate the Wesen have hunted and killed their share of humans for a variety of reasons as well.

The Wesen Migration--

Could the Wesen have migrated across the world due to the continued hunting and slaughter by humans of their species?

Are Grimms much like the Knights Templar, some of the most skilled fighting units of the European crusades that campaigned against the Ottoman Empire (although not always successfully)?

The Upcoming Wesen War---

Or is all this a simple sideshow, a distraction if you will, from the real threat from an internal Wesen power struggle that is going on secretly amongst human society? A struggle between sides that, whoever wins, may result in another transformation and/or extinction. However, this time the extinction may be not of the Wesen but of humankind itself. Stay tuned.