In the headwaters of the Florida Everglades, two ten foot male American alligators confront each other on a hot and humid day in May. One male bellows at his opponent. The other arches its back and shows its gaping mouth. In an instant, tumultuous splashes expose the aggressiveness of the gators as they battle to establish territory and dominance. After a few minutes of thrashing, one of the gators uses its powerful tail to propel itself away from the aggressor. The victor bellows again and swims off to challenge other gators.

This behavior assures the survival of the species. Champion males will breed with females passing its genetic code to offspring that results in strong, healthy alligators. That is why this species has been on the planet, unchanged, for 8 million years. Homo sapiens have been here for 200,000 years. Will we survive for millions of years like the alligator?