History Main / GoalOrientedEvolution

** This is also present in backstory revealed [[AllThereInTheManual in supplemental materials]]. These reveal that, in the distant past, a group of SufficientlyAdvancedAliens called the First Ancestral Race (FAR) sent out Seeds of Life to various planets. These Seeds came in two distinct varieties: Seeds of Life, which produce all-powerful but unintelligent beings (the Angels) while Seeds of Knowledge would produce smaller, weaker organisms who were nonetheless destined to develop intelligence (i.e. humans), which fits under this trope. The main conflict of the series comes from the fact that, by mistake, Earth received one of each type of Seed. The aforementioned SEELE seeks to take advantage of this by combining both forms of life to turn humanity into [[GodhoodSeeker an all-powerful being]].

[[caption-width-right:350:The Evolution of [[Franchise/{{Superman}} (Super)]] Man]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': The "Superman of the future" (100,000 years in the future) in ''ComicBook/ActionComics'' #256, [[http://www.superdickery.com/even-more-time-traveling-bell-jar/ as seen on]] ''Website/{{Superdickery}}''.

* ''Film/StarshipTroopers'': The biology teacher in the beginning thought the [[PlayingWithATrope Bugs were more evolved than humans]].
-->"We humans like to ''think'' we are nature's finest achievement, but I'm afraid that just isn't ''true''."

* In ''Film/{{Evolution|2001}}'', the nitrogen-based organisms appear to be doing this, as they evolve at hyper-speed to produce plantlike life, then worm-like, then vertebrate-like, then primate-like. Subverted at the end, when [[spoiler:the final evolved form is a kaiju-sized amoeba rather than a {{Rubber Forehead Alien|s}}. Although this was stated to be a purely survival evolution triggered by the use of napalm. As a "single celled" organism is most suited to surviving the flames. Implying it was merely a "reset" of the evolutionary line by defensively consolidating all the biomass into one simple form, that would then start evolving all over again.]]

* It is stated in ''Film/AfterEarth'' that everything on Earth has evolved to kill humans. This is patently absurd for reasons beyond the usual ones associated with the trope. In the universe of the film, Earth has not been inhabited by humans for a long time, so there's no reason why animals living there would have evolved traits that are specifically useful for killing humans.
* ''Film/PainkillerJane'': Erfan claims Jane is the "next stage of human evolution", while including others he enhanced like her, plus himself.
* InvokedTrope in ''Film/TheTitan'' where Professor Collingwood is seeking to genetically-alter the test subjects so they can survive on Titan. He's criticized for his [[MadScience unethical experiments]] in "forced evolution".

* Daniel Milo argues a lot of biologists essentially treat natural selection this way (including Darwin himself to some extent), viewing it as a mechanism that maximizes fitness, treating this like a goal it's directed toward. He and biologists whose work he cites believe this is wrong, that many organisms are mediocre and even ''mal''adaptive (dodos are a famous example-it worked just fine when they had no natural predators, although they quickly went extinct once that changed). Rather, they only need to not be ''so'' unfit that they die out. He thus titles his book as ''Good Enough: The Tolerance of Mediocrity in Nature and Society'' to reflect this. As the latter part of the title indicates, his view is that this "selectionism" also supports implicit SocialDarwinism. He thinks this has been socially destructive (even if not openly stated anymore), as it's frequently cited to support unfettered capitalism and other social practices with the idea that they will leave the fittest surviving.

* The closest thing to this trope in mainstream science is [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_evolution convergent evolution]]. This is basically when different species independently evolve similar traits and/or adaptations because of how useful the traits/adaptions are. The most well-known example is the evolution of natural flight by Birds, Bats, Insects, and the extinct Pterosaurs, all of whom evolved flight completely independently of one another.

* The closest thing to this trope in mainstream science is [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_evolution convergent evolution]]. This is basically when different species independently evolve similar traits and/or adaptations because of how useful the traits/adaptions are. Some examples only occur within a specific environment, such as the similar body shapes of Dolphins (Mammals) and Sharks (Fish). Another common example is the evolution of natural flight by Birds, Bats, Insects, and the extinct Pterosaurs, all of whom evolved flight completely independently of one another.

* The closest thing to this trope from mainstream science may be [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_evolution convergent evolution]] -- some body shapes are so useful (within a specific environment, that is) that many species will evolve them independently: look at the similar shape of dolphins (mammals) and sharks (fish). One of the body plans evolution likes the most (so to speak)? Crabs. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcinisation No, really.]]

* Often happens with animals in captivity, such as a breeder purposefully breeding animals with the same rare color morph to create more of them, or dog breeders making sure that their dogs meet the breed standard.

See UltimateLifeForm for the usual end point. Seen also DivergingEvolutionaryPhases.

See UltimateLifeForm for the usual end point.

* In Creator/EdmondHamilton's 1931 short story "The Man Who Evolved", a scientist sets out to discover where the evolution will stop. He does so by inventing an "evolution chamber" and trying it on himself (which makes this also an example of EvolutionPowerUp). [[spoiler:Subverted when he turns into protoplasm because evolution apparently goes in circles -- still scientifically wrong, but at least it's a twist on the usual take on this trope.]]

In actual evolutionary theory, this isn't really true. Populations gradually do become adapted to their environment, but there is no common goal involved. It is simply that organisms which happen to be well suited for their circumstances have more offspring, which will also have those traits, until they become the norm.

* In ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' the Zerg evolve towards perfection. Though in their case it's justified by the Swarm having an intelligence that specifically modifies them in that direction. Primal Zerg that are not part of the HiveMind evolve in every which way depending on what genes they [[CannibalismSuperpower consume]]. The specialist Zerg organism who manages this process lampshades that "perfection" is an unattainable goal, since the situation is always changing.
** Also brought up in ''Legacy of the Void'' with the revelation that the Xel'naga explicitly created the Protoss and the Zerg for the specific purpose of [[spoiler:becoming the next generation of Xel'naga]]. Or rather, [[spoiler:both having been candidates for that role until Amon hijacked their evolution for the purpose of turning them into living weapons against all other life]].

* In ''Film/{{Evolution}}'', the nitrogen-based organisms appear to be doing this, as they evolve at hyper-speed to produce plantlike life, then worm-like, then vertebrate-like, then primate-like. Subverted at the end, when [[spoiler:the final evolved form is a kaiju-sized amoeba rather than a {{Rubber Forehead Alien|s}}. Although this was stated to be a purely survival evolution triggered by the use of napalm. As a "single celled" organism is most suited to surviving the flames. Implying it was merely a "reset" of the evolutionary line by defensively consolidating all the biomass into one simple form, that would then start evolving all over again.]]

* ''WebOriginal/{{Serina}}'' offers up an interesting variation on this trope. It postulates that animal-life is predispositioned to evolve higher intelligence the more complex it gets and backs this up by pointing out that reptiles and amphibians are smarter than the fish they evolved from and that the mammals, dinosaurs and birds are in turn, smarter than them. By the time the titular moon has reached the [[MeaningfulName Ultimocene]], the planet's [[GoldenAge biodiversity has reached it's apex]] and average intelligence is comparable to primates and corvids, it's even offhandedly mentioned that several different species have evolved sapience.