What are some signs of evolution in human over the past 1000 years?

Answer 1

1000 years is a heartbeat in evolutionary terms. It would be very difficult to see significant evolution. Nevertheless, there are some examples.

I agree with Joan H that the growing percentages of people with certain genetically passed-on conditions (like diabetes) is an example of evolution of humans. Evolution doesn't have to make things "better", just better adapted to their environment ... so if diabetes can be treated to the point where it is no longer a disadvantage to survival, then the environment has changed.

However, I disagree that the growing height of people is ruled out as an example. Yes, this is related to better nutrition, but if this results in differences in the genotype of a population (like the United States, where people are generally taller on average than many other nationalities), then that would count as evolution. If part of that nutritional difference is related to the fact that larger people are no longer selected out because of limited food resources, that is evolution. If it is related to the fact that more tall peole are having children, and having children with each other, then that is evolution. But it also may be related to genetic crosses being created in multicultural environments (like California) that are not created in more homogeneous populations (like Japan).

In other words, if the overall genotype of a population is changing, that is, by definition, evolution.

But 1000 years, or even 5000 years is too short a time period to tell.

Answer 2

Well, I can' t say that they are evolutionary changes, but they are close, like..
Getting taller
Lungs getting more resistant to pollutants
Puberty arriving earlier

See, all of those things might not be evolution literally, but it is just a sign of the process of evolutions, the statistical human niche is choosing the best traits and making it happen.
Taller humans are more attractive, so that trait gets passed on the fastest.
Healthier lungs live longer to have more offspring
And I don't know why puberty is evolving like that, my other theory for that is environmental estrogens.
Environmental estrogens are one of the top ten pollutants in the human niche that effect us the most. They are exoestrogens in our body systems, blocking normal growth estrogens and doing some complicated things that cause earlier puberty.
There are even some extreme cases out there illustrating that point, a three year old child developing breasts(exoestrogens tested positive). Whats even worse is that onece in a human body system, it dosn't leave, it just collects and gets passed on to the child.
The best solution, sadly is to have more children to dillute the en. est.

Answer 3

A very good example is the ever increasing instance of diabetes in humans. It is very hereditary and more and more people are getting it from there parents (who might not have lived to have children in the past).

Stop thinking of evolution as something that is forever onward and upward. Evolution goes both ways and sideways.

Getting taller is not a good example since it is probably more related to better nutrition than to evolution.

Answer 4

humans are getting taller,average brain size has increased too hasnt it?not sure on that one but pretty sure the average height has increased,but I dont think your going to see much evolution in a mere 1000 years though

Answer 5

One of the obvious changes is the humans' ability to understand things in less advanced ages,children all around the world are getting more & more intelligent!

Answer 6

Sadly evolution takes more than just a 1000 years.It takes millions of em

Answer 7

The AMES Test.