Some scientists believe that humans are still evolving.?

Question

Some scientists believe that humans are still evolving. Others argue that the technological and medical advances of the last few centuries have eliminated most of the selective pressures that directed 5-6 million years of human evolution. Is there any evidence that we are still evolving? What lies in our evolutionary future? Does it make any sense to predict the direction of evolution?

Answer 1

Biologically, we are evolving. We can't stop changing because there are random mutations in our DNA that will continue to happen for ever and ever. However, people confuse biological evolution with social evolution, which in fact seems to take place during relatively shorter periods of time.

Answer 2

It definately makes sense to predict the direction of evolution, but the question is whether or not it is still occuring. When you think about western culture, it is hard to see where any natural selection is occuring because of all the safety measures that we place within the law, and because of the advancement of medicine. When you look at more "primitive cultures" for example the trobriand islands or some areas of africa, we find evidence still of evolution within the genomes of humans that reside there. This is because natural selection is still able to take place within cultures where the weak and sick die off and are unable to reproduce. Even so, most scientists would tell you that evolution is always occuring within every species, just some much more slowly that others. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Predicting future evolution based on past evolution is about as easy as predicting future history based on past history.

Evolution is driven by two things: (1) future mutations that happen to appear in the gene pool; and (2) future environments. Neither one of these things is predictable. Therefore it doesn't make sense to try and predict the future direction of evolution.

Answer 4

Predicting the direction of evolution is only possible if you know the forces that are causing evolution, and better if you know the alleles that that selective force is acting on.

Answer 5

yes we are changing. I have a few examples of that in my life with some of my friends. One has an extra set of tubes that lead into his bladder. Another one of my friends has some more bones in his back and shoulders. I also only has three wisdom teeth. How about physcis abilities and things of that nature? We have more reports of those them anything.

I think we will evovle in our mental state. Perhaps become more aware of our surroundings and things like that. It would make some sense to try to predict to better prepare for what's to come but then again could we really do that?

Answer 6

individually, i do no longer purchase into macro-evolution (the evolving of one species into yet another). I actually have a exceedingly reliable technology and engineering history, and each little thing i comprehend of strikes in direction of the main chaotic or lowest-means state it could (without sensible intervention). whilst is the final time you observed a wave crash on the shore, and withdraw to leave a sand fort that wasn't there earlier? for sure none human beings have been there whilst guy got here into being, yet i'm balloting for advent. no longer purely inspite of my coaching, yet additionally simply by fact of it.