Why are we the only animals still evolving? and others are not?

Question

We are still making the world better for ourselfs? we have changed a lot over thousands off years. why havent any other animals really changed?

Answer 1

Check the definition of evolution. It's a biological thing. What you're talking about is development - the development of civilisation, society and technology.

Human beings have been the same animals for thousands of years, even 2 or 3 millions years. It's generally accepted that people were shorter a few thousand years ago, your average person in Roman times may have been a foot shorter than your average person today, but we haven't developed anything significant like extra eyes, ears or telekinesis.

Things like that take thousands of years to develop, so the last step in human evolution is before recorded history. Likewise it is very difficult to observe in animals as it hasn’t been recorded. All animals are still evolving, it will just be a long time before any differences are noticeable.

Humans have developed so quickly over the last thousand years because we reached the stage in civilisation where we can support the dedicated development of technology.

Once another species has evolved to the point where their intelligence means they can develop civilisation they may do so, unless human beings are still around to suppress them. This other species can then develop technology and will likely go through a similar phase of rapid development that humans have. It will just take millions of years for any other species to evolve to that stage.

Answer 2

Evolution does not require 1,000's of years and can happen quite rapidly. It typically only takes place when a species is being threatened in some way. So, for instance, when europeans first came to the new world, something like 80% of the native americans died out due to european diseases for which they had no natural defense. So, the remaining population, were ones with a stronger immune system and lived on. All of their offspring then carry these traits, and we have, in a sense, a small, but significant evolutionary step.

The sad part about humanity is that since we've gotten so good at surviving, there is no more 'survival of the fittest' taking place. We die in car accidents and wars, but that often takes the fittest amongst us. So- evolution in humanity has either ceased, or is really going the other direction and making us less fit, as we rely more and more on modern medicine to survive.

The most intelligent and affluent in the world tend to actually procreate less, and the downtrodden and less intelligent more, so we're actually evolving to be a less capable species.

Answer 3

There are those that would argue that we are not making the world better for ourselves or anything else. look at global warming, pollution and the evidence that man has managed to expose us and other species to environmental teratogens in almost every area we live in. We are also likely to be the reason that many animal species have gone extinct over the course of the past several thousand years.

Developing technology is not evolution.

Evolution happens infinitesimally slowly. Because of this, it is unlikely that anyone will ever be able to say "See this... this change is evidence that we just evolved." For evolution to occur a species needs environmental or some other stressors, luck and a genetic mutation that allows the species to over come it.

Answer 4

Human evolution has been relatively fast compared to other animals. No one knows why. Now, be careful not to confuse the concepts, when we say it was fast, we're talking about hundreds of thousands of years. The technological and social developments resulting from the revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries have nothing to do with human evolution, which is a biological concept.

Our physical abilities haven't chaged much in the last thousands of years and the same goes for most animals.

Now, if you're talking about evolution in its general - not scientific - sense. I would say it's easier to think animals have evolved more than us because if it depended on them, our planet would still be a good place to live 100 years from now.

By the way, even scientifically, some forms of life evolve much faster than humans, so fast you can see it happening in front of your very eyes. Think of the new HIV mutations popping up now and then.

Answer 5

The different rates of evolution among the animals can be seen in the size of the brains, in particular the cerebral cortex. The rational and logical part of human brains has caused the natural imbalance in the world (for lack of a better description.). Yeah, we've made a better life for ourselves, but in doing so, we've committed global suicide by our 'betterment'. If we had not evolved a bigger brain than our brother animals, we'd still be living in the wild kingdom...primitive...but no global annihilation.

Nobody said evolution was a progressively good thing... look at all the dead-ends in history. the one that comes to mind are the Neandertals, there were over 15 others hominids that didn't make it.

Answer 6

You mean the developments and the mental growth. If someone can find find a formula to calculate the growth rate today, you can exactly calculate back the age of humanity. Man will not stay without developments even a single moment. As the evolutionists claims, if mankind has a history of millions of years, we would have been far more advanced than what we are today. No one can freeze this mental development of humans. There may be mentally retarded individual. But there is no such a stage for the whole humanity.

Answer 7

I don't think that's true - animals do continue to evolve. I've heard an arguement that we're the only species who are not evolving. This is because animals continue to be subject to the rules of natural selection in which the strongest survive. However humans have overridden that by using their advanced technology to save those who are weaker and would previously might have died. Meaning that we're reversing the natural selection of the human race.
I think it's an interesting theological discussion at any rate.

Answer 8

Are we making the world a better place? I seriously disagree that other animals have stopped evolving. Also, I feel that humans are hindering their own evolution in many ways. One example, and it may sound heartless and cruel, is when someone is born with a rare genetic defect or illness, doctors work diligently to "cure" or "help" this person. That person, evolutionary speaking, should be allowed to die. If this person is allowed to carry on their genes to another generation, they'll be passing on the defect/illness. There are countless ways in which humans are hindering their own evolution. Think about it.
We invent things to make our lives easier, then we become slaves to them. Cars, air conditioning, computers, telephones, TV, shall I go on? I think Humans are a cancer on the planet.

Answer 9

Caught a show on discovery channel the other day that was saying that rats and mice are evolving very fast and it is expected that in the next 2 years rodent poison will be ineffective because of this.

Answer 10

Bear in mind were still finding new species of animals where theyve been isolated. everyone saying that every animals(including us) are still evolving is right. Dont you think the human race could be slowing its evolution by creating all this technology, medicine etc?