Is the human race evolving or devolving?

Answer 1

From a biological perspective, there is no such thing as devolution. All changes in the gene frequencies of populations--and quite often in the traits those genes influence--are by definition evolutionary changes. The notion that humans might regress or "devolve" presumes that there is a preferred hierarchy of structure and function--say, that legs with feet are better than legs with hooves or that breathing with lungs is better than breathing with gills. But for the organisms possessing those structures, each is a useful adaptation.

Nonetheless, many people evaluate nonhuman organisms according to human anatomy and physiology and mistakenly conclude that humans are the ultimate product, even goal, of evolution. That attitude probably stems from the tendency of humans to think anthropocentrically, but the scholarship of natural theology, which was prominent in 18th-and 19th-century England, codified it even before Lamarck defined biology in the modern sense. Unfortunately, anthropocentric thinking is at the root of many common misconceptions in biology.

Chief among these misconceptions is that species evolve or change because they need to change to adapt to shifting environmental demands; biologists refer to this fallacy as teleology. In fact, more than 99 percent of all species that ever lived are extinct, so clearly there is no requirement that species always adapt successfully. As the fossil record demonstrates, extinction is a perfectly natural--and indeed quite common--response to changing environmental conditions. When species do evolve, it is not out of need but rather because their populations contain organisms with variants of traits that offer a reproductive advantage in a changing environment.

Another misconception is that increasing complexity is the necessary outcome of evolution. In fact, decreasing complexity is common in the record of evolution. For example, the lower jaw in vertebrates shows decreasing complexity, as measured by the numbers of bones, from fish to reptiles to mammals. (Evolution adapted the extra jaw bones into ear bones.) Likewise, ancestral horses had several toes on each foot; modern horses have a single toe with a hoof.

Evolution, not devolution, selected for those adaptations..

Answer 2

There is no question about it- we have devolved. Physically, the strongest among us today can't do the work that a whimp of a few hundred (much less a few thousand) years could do. We are soft, fat and lazy.
Of all cultures throughout history, we are the sickliest. We rely on drugs and healthcare schemes to keep us alive, while our nutrition consists of garbage. 100 years ago, (which was not exaqctly a high point for health) 1 in 44 people might get cancer in their lifetime. Today, one in 2 people will get cancer...and the statistics are getting even worse- it is expected that by 2020 virtually everyone will be expec ted to get cancer at some time.
Mentally, we are toast. Anyone familiar with ancient literature can see that the Ph.D. of today doesn't know what was common knowledge a few thousand years ago.
Modern mans only claim to fame, is that he is proficient at manipulating technology....but he knows not what he is doing...and we are starting to reap the consequences (GMO crops, pollution, radiation, the can of worms that is being opened up by nanotechnology/cloning/stem cells/DNA manipulation. The political control that heavey industrialization has enabled; The mind control of the media, etc.)
Morally...we live in a society where serious crimes are the norm. Just 40 years ago, a survey of teachers revealed that the biggest problems in their schools were: Chewing gum in class; talking out of turn, etc. Today the list reads: Rape, Assault, theft, pregnancy...
They call this the information age, but apparently the information only concerns the latest ballgame score, or what Brittany Spears is doing- people don't have enough logic to even know when they are being told blatant lies by politicians...even when those lies are pointed out and published.
God created man perfect in a perfect environment.....but through our actions, we have severly degenerated, and our environment has become a wasteland. Man fills the world with cities...and cities can not support life- they are dependent upon support from the rural areas. Man looks at the highways and tall buildings, and says "Isn't the mind and capability of man awesome!"- but he fasils to realize that what he admires can not support life...but rather turns a once life-supporting area into a dead zone, which is wholly dependent upon those semi-unspoiled areas that still bear some resemblence to what God created, for their life and water and food.
Mankind today is at an all-time low. Never before in history have we had the capability of destroying all life from off of this planet...but as of late we have that capability....that's what man has a cheived: That which can wreak death upon the whole world.

Answer 3

Good point to ponder.u know dolphins are those creatures who were gone back to sea after evolving as land mammals.Now this is also a kind of evolution.I dont think there is anything like devolving.
But if u see from the angle of religion or spirituality,we can say we are devolving

Answer 4

There are many answers to this question and I don't think that I could give you one that you are completely satisfied with. There are areas in which humans are "evolving" and "devolving". I think in evolving, the most apparent area is modern medicines. We have definitely advanced in this area. But if you think about it, we are devolving in that area as well because we are putting pesticides in our food that cause diseases and there are just way more diseases than in the past. We are evolving in the way our culture advances with technology, but we are devolving in the way it affects our youth. All in all, it's kind of a one step forward, two steps back kind of thing. Hope I helped.

Answer 5

Humans are physically evolving, but spiritually devolving.

Answer 6

lmao....love the term...its brilliant even...

well when you evolve, it usualy means u have better survival skills. Technology in some aspects, saves lives, and improves your life materialistic wise. It is definately improving , but is also the reason for destruction and health problems and lack of knowledge. Mass weapons kill as well as save, the computer hurts your eyes, fingers, and neck as well as providing you with quick knowledge, the Internet provides information quickly but is not always reliable, and nowadays people are replacing it with books and they are not searching with effort for knowledge. We are destorying nature, and killing innocent animals, as well as hurting and killing each other. We dont know what the truth is anymore, and we believe anything and anyone who represents us, just because we are prejudiced. History is bieng distorted, religion is bieng misinterpreted...we cant tell what is right and what is wrong anymore.

And people think that the more technology you have, the more you are civilised. That is not true. You should be able to use it appropriately and not hurt or kill others with it.

I think technicaly, we are evolving, but spiritualy and ethicaly, we are definately devolving!

Answer 7

It is not possible biologically to devolve.If your talking about morals or ethics that would all the depend on the society and what is acceptable behavior at that time.Then I suppose you could call it devolving .Example Rome and the dark ages.This is a very complex q when your not speaking biologically.You would need to do a lot of each in different areas of study.

Answer 8

more fine thoughts need to evolve. it could come from any culture across the world. these thoughts need to be developed so that everyone benefits by them. World on the whole seems quite content in western concepts which by itself may be questionable. any equation written should be written with long term impacts [without any distructive motives]and not short term benifits. this should encompass all of us, the entire eco system of which man kind is part of. see what has happened in the since the last century, mankind has wiped out so many species and continues to do so even today. there seems no retracting in our thought. may be industrial revolution was wrong, so was vulgur and blatant capitalism, we are not changing tact. to that extent we are struck in a rut.

Answer 9

Any change is part of evolution. In human progress, there are two forces constantly at work, thesis and anti-thesis. What results from the interplay of these two forces is synthesis. This process is a continuous process. What is unique about the change that takes place is the terrible pace at which the change is taking place.

Answer 10

yes its evolving and devolving at the same time.

at one end its evolving at other end its devolviong.
dont worry abt human race u decide which end u want to be.