how does modern medicine affect our progress as a species?
2007-09-17 13:35:07 · 7 answers · asked by wasteofletters 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
unless i am a gift offspring i feel like a complete person
2007-09-17 13:41:08 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
well, it's true that much of the evolution we see comes from pressure from the environment to evolve. However, it's also true that genetic codes change with every generation so there are bound to be changes in humans. Now, whether or not we will continue to evolve or if we're already starting deevolution is yet to be answered. And as for medicine, I think that medicine probably helps slow down evolution because it takes away some of that environmental stress. Plus, I guess it probably wont matter anyway since the population has gotten so big, there will be some kind of mass environmental impact. Either an ice age, drying up of natural resources, a global pandemic, or else we'll blow ourselves up before any of that happens. Also you can think of super volcanoes and meteor/comet/asteroids hitting the earth. *sigh* I guess I think we have already reached our peak and whether or not we are still evolving or not, humans are stretching the planet thin.
2007-09-17 20:56:40 · answer #2 · answered by s d 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
First, evolution does not care about species progress. Second, though populations evolve, it is individuals that are selected. Third, evolution, the change in allele frequency in a population over time, never stops. Stabilizing selection may be in force in humans right now, or not, but evolution itself does not " stand still. " You forget; evolution is a response to environmental conditions; modern medicine is one of those conditions. Only reproductive success is evolutionary success, so do not forget sexual selection drives much of human evolution. I do not forsee any speciation any time soon, if ever, though.
2007-09-17 20:59:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
O course not; selective pressures act on us as much as they always did. They may not be the same ones as centuries ago, but there are always pressures. Remember, the goal is to fill the population with a particular trait or traits - either by directed selection (think breeding programs) or by producing lots of kids with that trait, who also have lots of kids with that trait. It doesn't matter whether you've been kept alive by modern medicine, if your traits aren't valued or passed on. Whatever trait is valued in a partner or is bred into us is the way some part of humanity is headed. Also, don't forget different areas, different pressures.
2007-09-17 21:09:11 · answer #4 · answered by John R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure it's possible for evolution to stop. I do wonder what it's going to mean for evolution in the future, that we have a species now that is capable of understanding and consciously affecting evolution.
2007-09-18 00:37:57 · answer #5 · answered by v35322 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yup. Humankind's need to save everybody and allow everybody to reproduce as early and often as each individual desires destroys any evolutionary pressure on our species. No evolutionary pressure, no evolution.
2007-09-17 20:42:17 · answer #6 · answered by naturalplastics 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
may be but i have a thoery but i think the smarter u r the less common sense you have
2007-09-17 21:30:12 · answer #7 · answered by I luv pgons 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋