As evolution continues, what do you think the human race will look like...?

Question

in thousands of years time? (Ignoring those who are surgically enhanced of course). What traits do you think we will lose/aquire?

Answer 1

Shonsay,

Macro-evolution is a result of natural selection through mutative adaptation based on environmental pressures. It takes hundreds of millions of years. Nothing could possibly evolve in a thousand years time.

Humans now control their environment, so we are basically done evolving in the traditional sense. The only things that will happen to the human genome are things we ourselves do to it, and HOPEFULLY, this is a genie we won't let out of the bottle.

Fanciful images like bald heads, no brow ridges, etc, are Hollywood sci-fi silliness. Evolution must impart a competitive advantage to the species, and it must be free to spread through the gene pool.

Lets suppose that tomorrow a man was born with the ability to see through solid objects. In a primitive environment, this would be quite an advantage, and probably would allow them to survive in situation where other people couldn't. But in a modern society, although this would seem like quite an advantage, it wouldn't offer any added ability to survive. A person like this would have to keep this ability secret. If the government discovered it, they would probably confine this person to study them. If common people found out, they would be afraid, and probably try to hurt or kill this person. The only way that the ability would survive is if this person could mate with many women, and hopefully pass the trait on to offspring. Then, the offspring would have to do the same. What do you think the chances of this happening would be? As soon as powerful people discovered it, they would try to exploit it. This person would have no chance, unless they sequestered themselves in an isolated environment, and tried to create a new species. It would be almost impossible given our human desires.

In modern society, survival no longer depends on the abilities of the individual, so evolution is no longer a necessary feature.

Answer 2

For reasons that are not entirely clear, our birth rate is falling (possible causes include women's liberation - they are no longer staying at home to have babies - and man's falling sperm count) which is predicted to cause a global reduction of the human population in about 50 years time. By then the oil will have pretty much run out so we'll probably return to the days of sailing ships and horse-drawn carriages and the high rate of global travel will cease. This will mean that there will be more opportunity for local evolution which will be in addition to any evolutionary traits due to social changes.

If two groups of organisms are separated geographically then there is the possibility of separate evolution. This is more likely with humans as the population falls and travel becomes less common. Also, humans also have the possibility of social separation, which may already be occurring, which could cause separate evolution of different social groups. Also, AIDS may have a big influence.

There are so many possibilities that it is impossible to answer your question, but we'll either evolve to adapt to the inevitable changes over the coming years or we'll go extinct.

We'll eventually go extinct because when the Sun starts to die and make the Earth uninhabitable we'll have already frittered away the resources we needed to attempt any escape.

Answer 3

The way we as a species evolves has changed in the last 2000 years and very much so in the last 100 years. Firstly survival of the fittest no longer applies to the same degree as our social model protects even the weakest. Secondly the ability to attract a mate no longer hinges on males performing to impress the females to prove their worth to bread. There seems to be someone out there for everyone now because we are not all competing in the same arenas.You can be a professional, severely handicapped, unemployed, an Alpha male, tall, short, fat, thin, clever, simple, anything at all.
The result of all this freedom for all to breed is that the human will get generally less intelligent and generally less attractive in 2 sections of the species and vise-versa in the other 2 sections race will probably develop into 4 separate strains. The hyper intelligent or hyper attractive looking group and the less intelligent or less attractive group
This is along way off
Which group will you belong to?

Answer 4

For those humans who survive the next pole shift (they happen like clockwork) it will be advantageous to be taller to see farther. Homo sapiens will be taller. Wisdom teeth will cease to exist as long as the food supply stays 'modern.' Knees will strengthen as well as backs. The angle of the knees will be reduced in women. Maybe more or thicker nose hairs for increased ability to filter out pollution. A larger % of the brain will be utilized. We may become immune to certain sexually transmitted diseases. The sky of the earth will be brighter and brighter, so I see a higher % of dark-eyed people in the population. Ozone gets worse - that means those with good DNA-repair mechanisms (skin genes) are favored. People will have on the whole darker skin from the breeding of people all over the earth. This may take more than 1000 years, and we most likely will blow each other up in the name of god by then, but you get the idea.

Answer 5

Evolution is authentic sweetie, technological know-how is a lot previous the denial element. that's purely obdurate non secular types that carry to the theory in an invisible sky fairy who refuse to work out the actuality. each and every little thing is in a relentless state of evolution and alter. replace is evolution and the only consistent interior the universe. no longer something remains the comparable for long. Blink and the international has replaced. training Shaman... quantum physics rocks.

Answer 6

i think evalution will not really happen too humans, and heres why

Evalution is based on survival of the fitest and who can adapt the best. as humans have learnt advanced medical procedures people that had a certain hereditary life threatening condition survive and procreate. Normally left to evalution these things would not be wanted so as they have died their genes would not have lasted. so the human race will probably stagnate.

or

a new 'super human' bread will emerge as they have all had dna enhancements to make them better.

Answer 7

It's strongly unlikely humanity will still exist in "thousands of years time." However, evolution generally occurs only in isolated populations and only when a ecological niche calls for it to occur. Modern humanity doesn't qualify for significant further evolutionary development.

Answer 8

We will have all cross bred with other races until we are all the same looking off brown colour with slightly slanty eyes and dark hair. Oh and we'll all have Brown eyes as the brown gene dominates blue at 4/1.

Answer 9

Tubular. Balder. Larger feet. Shorter.

Answer 10

A big blob of jelly with it's own internal access to the internet where it will live as a hero.

Bit like the Matrix