Interesting article on evolution

Caedes

http://open2.net/sciencetechnologynature/worldaroundus/evolution_p.html

A very interesting article on the history of evolutionary theory which has three leading scientists talking about the idea that evolution has stopped or slowed down in humans.

quietlyleaving

neat story Caedes. The History of Evolution with a new beginning The Modern theory of evolution. But I do like the story. Those Greeks knew a lot.

drwtsn32

the idea that evolution has stopped or slowed down in humans.

I haven't read your link yet but I've thought that for quite a while. Humans do not as a whole stay in isolated groups, and we also have the ability to adapt to changing environments (through technology or whatever). I see both of these as basically putting a halt to our natural evolution.

MissingLink

"Scientific American" had a series of articles on Evolution last month. One of them discussed whether humans have stopped evolving or not. This is one thing that not everyone agrees on. It depends on how much of evolution is decided by natural selection at the individual level, and how much is decided on a smaller scale, and also how much is just genetic drift.

There's still penty of opportunity to change in the short term though with increased travel possibilities causing inter-mixing of previously isolated human groups. This obviously is leading towards a more homogonized human species.

Elsewhere

On the contrary, researchers who are studying human DNA have identified a substantial increase in human evolution. We are evolving faster now than every before.

Humans now are drastically different from humans 10,000 years ago. Most of the differences are in how instincts and behaviors are expressed. If you were to take a new born from 10,000 years ago and try to raise it today, it would have a very difficult time dealing with our modern structured society.

drwtsn32

Humans now are drastically different from humans 10,000 years ago.

I don't doubt that at all. I'm talking about more recent times, as in the past several hundred years. Humans 10,000 years ago were probably in isolated groups (which tends to accelerate evolution). Nowadays the world is a very small place.

watson

I wonder what effect using the internet will have on human evolution?

drwtsn32

I wonder what effect using the internet will have on human evolution?

It can lead people to communicate, connect, and reproduce with others all over the globe, therefore slowing down natural evolution.

That coupled with the fact that we can adjust our immediate environment (heating, air conditioning) and more easily withstand things like hurricanes and other natural disasters further reduces natural evolution.

I think the future of human evolution will involve genetic engineering. That prospect is both scary and exciting.

Elsewhere

In terms of more visible forms of modern human evolution, one realizes that we are actually evolving in an intelligent manner as opposed to natural evolution. We humans are literally re-designing and changing our physical and mental abilities.

A more simple example would be eye glasses. Most people don't realize it but that is literally a form of evolution. We evolved, in and intelligent manner, improved vision.

Books, the ability to transmit complex ideas and large amounts of information to many people

Video and the ability to remotely view.

Artificial limbs, the ability to restore lost limbs

Artificial organs and other structures, the ability to restore lost organs. Right now we can grow a new heart valve. In time we will be able to grow a new heart...

Improved communication capabilities. At this very moment I'm using the most advanced form of communication ever used on the earth. I can instantly communicate complex ideas to any other human on earth.

Improved health. We have artificially extended our life spans through better health care and better food sources.

Improved ability to move and travel. No other animal on earth can travel 25,000 MPH like humans can in space.

Improved ability to survive extremes. No other animal could ever survive on the moon.

I can go on and on...

Some might say: Hey, but those things are not part of the human body and therefore not really evolution.

My response is: See what happens if you drop your average city-dwelling human into a very fertile rain forest or wilderness. Any other animal could survive but I can all but guarantee you that urban human would be dead within a month.

Humans have literally evolved to the point that we cannot survive without our technology. This even includes that most basic form of technology: agriculture.

BurnTheShips

Aristotle had some ideas regarding evolution that he got from Empedocles. The West however did not really hear about them until his writings turned up. Plato's essentialism was the generally accepted idea.

BTS

Interesting article on evolution

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