Can humans evolve into another species?

Question

If I understand correctly, human's earliest ancestors are not classified as humans, or Hominids. So can today's modern man evolve into a species that would no longer be classified as human?

Answer 1

It's hard to say, and this can be approached from several different angles. What defines our species? What makes homo sapiens different from others of the Homo genus? Taxonomy is based on gross differences, changes in the fossil record. Genetic comparisons are based on populations, not individuals. And philosophically, will we always consider ourselves human, regardless of how many changes occur?

If you want to take the stand point of someone outside the system, then, sure, it is possible. Once the genetics of a certain percentage of the population differs from the original to such a degree that we can no longer breed with Homo sapiens... then we are a different species. However, how will we know when that happens? Unless our species and our evolutionary progeny exist simultaneously, we'll never quite know this. If we evolve as a population, we might realize the differences, but will we cease to call ourselves human as a result? That would seem very... odd.

Answer 2

Probably not. A species may split into two subspecies if the groups are physically isolated; that's why Australia has kangaroos and SE Asia doesn't. (Australia split off from the other land masses a long time ago.) With modern travel, humankind is getting pretty well stirred up, so isolated pockets which could evolve differentially are not to be expected.
Note that this is the kind of question that you can answer reliably using evolutionary theory, but cannot answer at all using pseudotheories such as "intelligent design".

Answer 3

Yes. Homo sapiens is becoming Homo genius.

Answer 4

Essentially yes, if we last that long.

Answer 5

We already have. :)

http://www.emergencemarketing.com/images/evolution.jpg

Answer 6

possible