Are Human Beings Still Evolving?

Question

Are humans still evolving or have we reached a state of evolutionary perfection?

Answer 1

Yes..... It's just evolution is so slow there is no way to witness it.... adult lactose tolerance is recent human evolution in a biological sense.... the increased use of technology is another way humans are "evolving"

Answer 2

If this is as far as we have evolved we are not long as a species. Human beings are still evolving, but what has evolved in us so far appears to be rather insignificant and will take years before scientist will learn of what has evolved in us, or our replacements will learn.

As a species we are so adaptable that is difficult for me figure out what is an adaptation or an evolving process.

Answer 3

I would like to say yes, human beings are still evolving, but not sure if we're evolving in a positive way, but then again, what is classed as positive or negative, what is perfection and imperfection?

Personally, I don't actually class life at the moment as a "state of evolutionary perfection". We have reached a point at the moment where we are actually depending on man-made things - we are changing the environment to fit us, not the other way around. There isn't a need for us to become physically fit anymore in order to survive, we don't need to hunt for our food - we can just buy it from our local supermarket. We've created clothes to keep us warm, houses to keep us from the weather etc. We have grown to adapt to the environment as we have produced it, so slowly we are evolving into a state where we no longer need such physical (and mental) qualities to survive as we originally placed had. But factors such as global warming may change these circumstances, so who knows what will happen in the future?

Answer 4

Yes.

Evolution is not a steady process towards 'perfection'. It's a process by which species adapt to their circumstances; if there are more predators about, the faster members will survive and the slower ones will tend to become prey, with the result that whatever genes contribute to speed will tend to survive, while individuals lacking such genes will not.

Humans, however, are unique in that we've managed to interfere and to some extent block the process of natural selection. We can keep prematurely born infants alive, for example, until they become viable on their own. We care for mentally and physically handicapped people in a way that our ancestors tended not to. It remains to be seen what effect this will have on human evolution; it's only been going on for two or three generations, which is a fraction of an instant in evolutionary time.

Just to repeat: evolution is not about getting better and better. It's about adapting to whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. It's possible that humans will eventually evolve into thick-witted apes who can breathe carbon dioxide and who just want to spend all their time looking at naked pictures of other thick-witted apes. It all depends on what sort of environment we, and our descendants, choose to make.

Answer 5

Yes we are evolving, but our driving forces of evolution are different to those of most other species. Because in the modern age, at least in affluent countries, people are unlikely to die from environmental/survival type factors (e.g. being eaten by a predator, dying of starvation etc) which commonly affect animals or plants, our ability to pass on our genes is much more strongly related to our social behaviour than our physical characteristics. Sure, people choose to reproduce with those they think are "good looking" but even the less good looking can win out over the supermodels if they have a great personality and charisma. This is even more enhanced by the fact that we can now more or less choose who we want to have children with, even though we may mate with others without having any. Animals can't do that - they mate, they get pregnant, they have no say in whether they want one to lead to the other.
However as the idea of what is attractive in a human mate varies over the years, it is difficult to ascertain where the path of evolution may be taking us.

Answer 6

Nature is evolving. We are a part of nature. So yes, humans are still evolving.
But I don't think evolution has anything to do with reaching a status of perfection. Rather it is adjustments to the environment. All species reacting to one another and changes come about.
People always tend to label things 'the best' or 'the worst'.
I believe we just ARE. a product of this universe.

Answer 7

I would say extremely slowly. Couple of points: medical science has artificially boosted the 'reproductive fitness' of individuals and thus subverting the role of 'Natural Selection' e.g. insulin treatment for diabetics, this is a good thing, but somewhat dysgenic, or bad for the gene pool, secondly, how does evolution occur - is it a continuous gradual accumulation of mutation or stationary, punctuated by rapid bursts of variation - perhaps caused by extinction event or major climatic change/ radiation, necessitating fast adaptation, ahem....global..warm....ahem;), and lastly, most importantly, ease of travel and globalisation will expand 'gene flow' and increase homogeneity, recessive genes need in-breeding, out-breeding, in this regard is undesirable, 'gene blockade' promotes accumulation of otherwise statistically improbable variants within the population...think of kangaroos!

We will evolve though. But it will not be on Earth. Once several generations of humans are subjected to the physical and radiological exigencies of inter-planetary life, colonies will develop with vastly different physiological parameters, greater height, weak circulatory system (heart pumping at lower gravity), endemic atrophy, leaching of calcium minerals and severely compromised musculo-skeletal system.....in other words, the inability to return and survive under 'alien' Earth/ homeworld conditions. Might this lead to a 'de facto' new species of human over time? That's assuming we're evolved enough already to avoid self-annihilation, a questionable premise!!

Answer 8

Yes, we are still evolving. The latest investigations into quantum physics show, we are quantum beings. Actually our actions and thoughts affect one another.We are like a collective mind with all information that has ever been learned collected and can be sourced by all. Some scientists are studying how even our presence can effect those around us, the fact we are learning we are much more than we have previously thought, shows we are evolving.Check out the book{ The Field} by Lynn McTaggart.

Answer 9

We are always evolving. We are currently making an important leap; since the age of agriculture, we are becoming less physical and barbaric and becoming more intelligent exponentially with each passing millenium.

As for evolutionary perfection... we are already there and have always been there and will always be there. We are part of nature and nature, being natural is and always will be... 'perfect'. It requires an ego to percieve nature as less than perfect as it is. An ego is only a subjective part of the psyche, and is not objectively real.
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Answer 10

There is no such thing as a state of evolutionary perfection. The earth (continents, climate, atmosphere, vegetation etc) is in a constant state of change, therefore all living things are always evolving. Evolution takes place over millions of years and many generations. Unless of course you still believe that the earth is a mere 6000 years old...?