Will humans prevent further evolution of the human species?

Question

I'm talking about genetic engineering, and mutations that naturally occur, (but not seen a evolution in process,) so doctors work out ways and means to stamp out these genetic "abnormalities"?

I'd say evolution would not occur this fast! I'm interested in seeing what people have to say.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Evolution is a natural process that takes place over millions of years. Those most suited to their environment have more success in breeding and small benefits become magnified over the generations. We are moving towards eugenics which is a much faster process. The difference is that evolution tends to correct its own mistakes. Who's going to correct ours?

Answer 2

It's an interesting question whether technological advances in medicine will alter the evolution of the species. You could argue that even something like eyeglasses have altered the evolutionary path. Before eyeglasses people with poor vision were at a higher risk of accidental death and (I'm guessing) poor eyesight would be selected against. Now with eyeglasses and RK surgery any genes responsible for poor eyesight (are there any?) will not have a selective disadvantage.

So it will go with correcting genetic diseases. I think doctors will correct the disease somatically - that is they will fix the organ that is malfunctioning due to the genetic defect. They won't correct the germ line. So an individual suffering from cystic fibrosis will have the gene corrected in his/ her lungs will be able to grow to reproductive age and have children at a much higher frequency than happens currently.

So genetic engineering of somatic disease has the potential to weaken the gene pool but prenatal testing of children from these individuals will probably be routinely done.

It's interesting to note that some genetic diseases can confer a selective advantage in some environments. An example of this is the Hemoglobin-S allele. In homozygous form it causes sickle cell anemia but heterozygotes are resistant to malaria infection. So "stamping out" disease genes is not so simple as getting rid of a bad mutation...

Answer 3

I think not only genetic engineering will have an impact on evolution, or better genetic engeneering would have the smallest effect on evolution, since its more or less banned and hopefully be banned in future.
I think we already altered our evolution and will do it more and more 'accidently' by improving medicine at all.
Not that this would be a bad thing, but from natural view this is absolutly the opposite from what we know as 'natural selection' which always guided evolution.
Difficult to say what this effect on the speed of evolution finally has ?

Answer 4

Humans have never evolved from anything!

Evolution requires new genetic information. Mutations do not add genetic information. They are either information neutral or harmful. Natural Selection acts to weed out harmful mutations. Modern genetic science may also help to weed out these harmful mutations - but I think they're an awful long way from being able to repair dna.

Answer 5

There is nothing as a genetic abnormality. It's a biological process that stands above normative judgements.

And i don't think humans could prevent further evolution of the human species. Even if humans came up with the idea of applying eugenics again, it wouldn't prevent evolution. Just imagine, you would have to observe every basepair of every human in the Germline. That is not conveivable.

Besides, personnaly i don't see a point in preventing evolution.

However, there is a possibility for humans to prevent their own evolution. This would take place, if humanity successfully eradicates itself.

Answer 6

Very exciting question. greater evolution in human beings ins hindered, no longer by utilising the certainty that we are the top of evolution, yet simply by fact technologies bypasses selective tension. in simple terms some a protracted time in the past i would not have made it previous 35, no longer to point wearing a newborn - yet here we are. except sexual decision without notice turns into the using tension in shaping the human race - which will take place; it truly is the era of globalization after all - i do no longer think of developed human beings will variety lots, bodily from their ancestors, however the interior workings could desire to be diverse. On a molecular scale, we could desire to grow to be the equivalent of the melanic birch moth, thriving in polluted areas. some human beings responded quoting advancements interior the immune gadget and that's actual; what with the age of reproduction shifting to later and later in existence, susceptibility to cardiocirculatory illnesses or maybe maximum cancers could desire to grow to be greater correct. yet another much less remarkable variety of selective tension is infertility. it truly is been stated that a huge proportion of adult adult males are in simple terms approximately sterile, with few needed spermatozoa, and the reason could desire to be pollutants, radiation, or a mix of the two. people who're maximum proof against the environmental rigidity are likelier to pass their genes to the subsequent technology. So, i might watch for mutations interior the genes for: a) immune reaction b) catalase, peroxidase etc. c) DNA fix gadget.

Answer 7

Yes I think that we will prevent the evolution of the human species by natural section. I think that we be able to control our own evolution artificially via tools and techniques. And yes I agree that we are faster than evolution because our brains work in real-time. That's why we have unfortunately been able to wipe out so many other animal species (1). We can do it faster than they can adapt to it.

Answer 8

Redistribution of allele frequency from generation is evolution, whether by natural selection, artifical selection by breeding, or artificial selection by chemical modification.

Answer 9

Now that depends on whether you believe humans have evolved and were once apes. I am not a creationist and I think evolution is fataly flawed. Where is the evidence that we as a species have evolved from anything?

Answer 10

You cannot stop evolutionary processes it is a force of nature.