Do Zombies evolve?

[Derfel]

I dont think zombies could evolve because of energy purposes. Now I will admit, I am nowhere near a zombie expert, so I don't really know how they work, but, being a big science guy I know that if zombies run out of food, like people, then they would die pretty quick because with their body goin on half efficiency or less they cant produce much energy, so when they run out of energy they die, so they would have no time to evolve.

But if there is some better way to explain their fuel source someone please just yell at me, yell at me kindly and in a friendly manner though.

[Toastburner B]

As other people have said on this thread, I don't believe it's logical that zombies would evolve.

Then again...since when has logic applied to zombies?

But, I look at it this way: George A. Romero practically wrote the book on the zombie movie, so he can have zombies do whatever he wants.

[Loyal]

As far as I can see, the only possible "evolution" for Zombies is in fact the evolution of the creature that got reanimated.

So basically, human-borne zombies of today will be significantly different from human-borne zombies of the next evolutionary cycle, just because it's the human evolving.

But as for the evolution occuring when they reach the Undead stage, there's just no scientific way. Any mutation that did occur would have to be caused by outside sources (Radiation genetically altering the 'flesh', some further magic changing the chemical makeup of it, environmental pressures causing an adverse change, etc).

[phil_]

What about the G-virus? Isn't that what made RE2's biggest nasty the biggest nasty? And he mutated post-mortem. So atleast, there's precedent for zombies changing after they are reanimated.

Now, for Mike's opinion: "If there is a living biological component, it's the virus. The virus can evolve. Those zombies that 'propogate' the most have better versions of the virus. Given an unlimited supply of living flesh, gradually you would get better versions of the virus. Also given that zombies have only two functions, eating and moving, they would evolve faster as there would only be two things to optimize (eating and reproducing are the same thing here). Add on the natural tendency of viruses to evolve under any circumstance, and the idea of an evolving zombie becomes plausible."

[Astral Harmony]

William Birkin did not die. The G-Virus revitalized his cellular functions and mutated him. He became a living testament to the raw power of his greatest creation yet.

It really depends on how the body is reanimated and what we're referring to when explaining evolution. Basically, if you're asking if the zombie evolves directly, the answer is most obviously no. "Evolution" as observed in the undead will only occur due to what animated the body to begin with. It can be thought of as evolution, but rather it's just mutation brought on by what created the zombie. A zombie is a zombie. It's not a living thing. It's not an intelligent thing. It doesn't change with time or with environment on the evolutionary level. Any changes observed in zombies that appear to be evolution is really mutation, brought about by the various methods, such as necromancy, viruses, or radiation from some stray meteor originating from the planet Venus.

In the case of using voodoo and drugs to reduce a living person to a zombie-like state, that's an area that leaves question marks around my head.