'obtained' vs. 'achieved' vs. 'gained'

Question

Hello everyone,I think the following sentence is incorrect, because was obtained is supposed to mean something like was achieved or evolved rather than determined or found. If it really is incorrect, would any of the suggestions below be fine?The ancestral shape of the species' mandibles was obtained by increasing the size of teeth.My suggestions:(a) The ancestral shape of the species' mandibles evolved by increasing the size of teeth.(b) The ancestral shape of the species' mandibles developed by increasing the size of teeth.(c) The ancestral shape of the species' mandibles arose by increasing the size of teeth.Or, if the passive construction had to be preserved:(d) The ancestral shape of the species' mandibles was achieved by increasing the size of teeth.(e) The ancestral shape of the species' mandibles was attained by increasing the size of teeth.(f) The ancestral shape of the species' mandibles was gained by increasing the size of teeth.Thanks a lot for any advice!P.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Why are you saying 'ancestral'/ Don't you want to focus on current members of the species?

It seems to me you are clearly talking about evolution, so I would say 'evolved'.
Words like achieved/gained/attained reflect approval, whereas scientists should be impartial.

Petusek · Answer

Yes, that's actually the problem. I'm saying 'ancestral' because that's what the athors use in their text. And you're definitely right - it's about evolution and phylogeny. I would definitely write 'evolved' if I were them (which is what I've already suggested to them). I suspect they wanted to convey the meaning of the evolutionary process reaching a certain end result, the present form, through some intermediary steps or stages. I doubt, however, they realized this wording might evoke some sort of 'Intelligent Design', as if the evolutionary end result had been 'encoded' in the ancestral species from the very beginning, or as if the ancestral species itself could have decided which evolutionary path to take.

As a matter of fact, it might sound a bit strange even in the native language if taken literally, but the literary tradition allows much greater lattitude, so whoever read it might well perceive it as a bit poetic. The thing is I don't think this could work in English, especially scientific English - which is exactly why I'm asking this question.

Thank you very much for your patience, Clive!

P.S.: I've just looked more carefully at the wider context again, and it seems they may have wanted to replace evolve with a synonymous expression simply to avoid repetition, because evolved is used in the preceding sentence and also in the following. Apart from develop, perhaps, I can't think of a better verb. Maybe you can?

Clive · Answer

How about this?
The ancestral shape of the species' mandibles resulted from increasing the size of teeth.

Petusek · Answer

Brilliant, Clive! That's perfect! Thanks a thousand times! <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/97.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/97.gif' alt='Emotion: clap'/>

'obtained' vs. 'achieved' vs. 'gained'

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