medicine and benefits and they can reproduce as in modern society, does this mean we stop evolving?
Please no religious comments!
2006-07-20 11:37:00 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Whatever the trait that is overcome by modern medicine will continue to be passed on, there is supposedly some measurable narrowing of the birth canal on average as a result of widespread C-sections. The trait of Hemophilia persisted in the Hapsburg line in Europe as a result of the ease of living they enjoyed, and some poor inbreeding.
This will be a problematic result of modern medical intervention until in the near future we can attack such flaws at the root on the genetic level.
2006-07-20 11:49:58 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
So I think what you have in mind is the theory of natural selection. And really, what it's about is that some mutation gives some members of a group an advantage. That advantage ultimately translates into more opportunities to reproduce, thus more opportunities to pass the mutation along, etc., ultimately crowding out those without the mutation.
So I think that the answer to your question would be no - medicine and "benefits" (whatever that means) are only two aspects to being able to reproduce successfully. So mutations that make someone less susceptible to disease (for instance) might no longer give an advantage and thus might not be propagated, but other mutations might be. Like the ability to emit a scent that women find irresistible! Woooo! I wanna be a mutant!!!
2006-07-20 18:55:18 · answer #2 · answered by Mikal 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"unsuccessful will fail to reproduce" just like "survival of the fittest" is a tautology. By "unsuccessful" you mean precisely "will fail to reproduce". "Success" or "fitness" is defined in terms of success in reproduction. Evolution provides no other criterion for what is fit.
So when medical advances save people who would have done poorly had they lived at an earlier time, these people become successful, whatever their ailments.
Evolution is surely effected, but that is not to say that it has stopped. We all survive now, but does everyone reproduce equally?
2006-07-20 18:58:08 · answer #3 · answered by Rob 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, for that reason and for the more important reason that there is no longer an isolated portion of humanity that can evolve separately so as to develop differences. See Dawkins' The Ancestor's Tale for much more on this. Probably the last occurrence of separate evolution of disparate groups is different races.
2006-07-20 18:46:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No we don't stop evolving, just means that some of those unsuccessful genes get added to the genetic pool of the society. This happens in our society; for example, genes for illnesses get passed on to future generations.
2006-07-20 18:53:33 · answer #5 · answered by Goldenrain 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The theory is that the human race will de-generate!
Dangerous ground you are touching here.
A guy called Adolf Hitler had tried to reverse this trend ( = the super race).
And I think the Singaporean president Lee Kwan Yiu briefly had similar ideas more recently (incentive for academics to have children).
Disclaimer: No comparison between these two persons is intended!
2006-07-20 18:47:12 · answer #6 · answered by Marianna 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it just changes the selection pressure. Also I like to think of medicine as occuring through evolution. We have brains capable of producing things to stop us from dying.
2006-07-20 19:23:47 · answer #7 · answered by Franklin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of our evolution is based on the speed at which one can make a new generation. Healthy, good-looking individuals make babies faster, and so their alleles take over the population
2006-07-20 19:02:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No we just change the selection of evolution.
2006-07-20 18:45:13 · answer #9 · answered by Crazy Diamond 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, but it means we'll probably evolve more slowly.
2006-07-20 18:55:11 · answer #10 · answered by DR 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋