Evolution II

Ok - I think I understand it now. Each species evolves as an improvement over its predecessor. Or, at least, no worse than its predecessor.

Yes, that's it.

So, a predecessor of the cheetah, let's call it cheetah-minus-1, was not as fast a runner. But the fastest of them were better at reproducing, because they caught more prey, got the best food, and generally impressed the girl (or boy) cheetah-minus-1s.

Yes

So over the generations, the cheetah-minus-1 evolved into the faster cheetah that we have today.

That's it, yes.

I think I understand!

Hooray!

So the panda, which is on the verge of extinction because it is so bad at reproducing, evolved from a panda-minus-1, which was just as bad or even worse?

Er, yes.

And the panda-minus-1 evolved from a panda-minus-2, which was just as bad or even worse. And the panda-minus-2 evolved from a panda-minus-3, which was just as bad or even worse. And so on, going back over millions of years to the very start of life on earth, successive species, each just as bad as the panda at reproducing, or actually worse than the panda?

Er . . .

It makes you wonder how they've survived so long, doesn't it.