If Darwin's theory of evolution is correct what are we evolving into?

Answer 1

Well...... We've already become assholes. Come back in a couple million years and find out ☺


Doug

Answer 2

1) Darwins theory is VERY much established. More so than most other scientific theories. Let's just assume it is true.

2) It only states that organisms adapt to best thrive in their current environment. There is NO goal or even direction in evolution, just adaption to ever changing environment.

3) The environment does NOT have to be "natural", technology is influencing evolution. I.e. some research postulates that we have become less aggressive because of higher population densities.

4) Evolution normally occurs slowly (hundreds of years) and is a statistical process i.e the general trend is towards something, though individuals may go against the trend.

5) Evolution is also a parallel process --> Things do NOT hapen in sequence because of something. There are always many potential and possible traits present in parallel and may manifest rapidly if necessary or under high selection pressure.

6) E.g. Dogs: We manipulated dogs into many breeds WAY faster than simple evolution could do. This was only possible because these traits were allready present on a DNA level. Breeding is an "unnatural evolutionary pressure" thus rapid "evolution" is possible

Conclusion:
We are exerting higher selective pressures on our own population through technology and social contracts (i.e. democracy etc.) thus rapid evolution MAY happen to us as we speak, both in body and mind. But what direction are we going?
Ask again in 20 years or so.

Concepts under scrutiny:
- Does evolution has a direction? --> no scientific data allows for such a conclusion, likely a religious bias.

- Are all humans equal? --> Highly controversial, but evolution would mean that this is NOT true. Since everyone has a statistical distribution of different traits (i.e some people are born to be less intelligent or more athletic).

Answer 3

We cant say for sure can we, You see the theory is flawed and its imposible to create a model from, I think we are all aware of the Different faith's views on this, The only problem i can see with Evolution is that it enviroment dependant, i.e we evolve to suit our enviroment, just the same way as we have in the past, look for example at the different cultures from arround the globe, take a look at how different Eskimo's are physicaly to say Asians, shall we leave it there, I will say that the way we evolve will depend upon how we treat our enviroment, that if we dont destroy ourselves before.

Answer 4

we probably wont turn into something else, we may just end up having modifications to our present form. Things like the appendix, the little toe and the caecum have already become vestigial, and now serve no purpose, this is all based on our behaviours. Through hundreds of generations, humans as a group have begun eating more meat, therfore the need for a large appendix, and caecum are reduced. The way that we walk leads us to no longer really need a little toe.
Just like primates, their behaviours began to chaneg and these new behaviours and mutations became selected for, thus changing their appearance.
The same will happen to people....

Answer 5

Man stopped the evolution. With the new medicines, those who where to be dead now, are still alive, marrying and having children. So these people will spread their problems to their off-springs. In the old times only the strongest survived. This was the source of evolution. Not anymore! We now are doomed for better or for worse to stay as we are.

Answer 6

I tend agree with poli_b2001 and Frajola. Darwin had the advantage of exploring and theorising the past. Were he alive today and postulating on the future of species, especially man, he might very well get the same response (theological derision) that he had to his theory of evolution.
To speculate on what he may have thought would, I feel bring you to the conclusion that over population might be our ultimate weakness.

Answer 7

I think humans have dropped out of evolution, gone are the days when the strongest, most intelligent and best breeders of the species were the only ones to get any. Evolution is supposed be be when the best genes from one generation are passed down to the next and so on, but if like me you see some of the brain donors who are having offspring we are probably going backwards

Answer 8

In the last couple of thousand years, we have outgrown nature and taken our evolution into our own hands.
Nature shows us that species develop to adapt better to their environment.
Since we are now at a level of development whereby we no longer depend on instinct, but on culture and learning, we adapt the environment to suit our bodies, and therefore control (in a secondary way) our own evolution. With developments in DNA and medicine etc we may, in the future directly control how our bodies work and evolve.
Currently our bodies are learning to live with the increased levels of toxins in the air, due to the amount of pollution we create. The dangers lie in our ignorance and the threat of altering the environment on earth to an extent that we could not currently survive, and doing so too quickly for our bodies to adapt to.

Answer 9

You have to understand that evolution has no desighn or purpose and there is no way to predict how a species will change. Species adapt to suit their environment, man however is unique in that we adapt our environment to suit us so we probably wont change that much.

Recent studies however have gound that in recent years (the last couple of hundred) have revealed that we have undergone a small change as our social groups have becomne larger though this new gene is not found in all poeple, cant remember what its called but it is linked with intelligence.

Answer 10

Not quite sure. I have read that people will soon be born minus the little toe as it serves no function anymore. If we carry on down that route and rely more and more upon machines the whole body might become redundant until we end up like Darleks! On the bright side we'll get cool rubber suckers and can screech EXTERMINATE to our hearts content.

Answer 11

I don't believe in Theory of Evolution...
I know that ALLAH(GOD) made us...
We didn't evolve from monkey...

However...
We are getting immune to certain things...
Such as Bacteria, Virus, disease