2007-11-15 10:24:16 · 9 answers · asked by ? 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No, because we'd drown before we could reproduce. Evolution only works if the benefits provided by mutations in DNA are passed on to a new generation - there is nobody who can breathe water, so there could be nobody who it could be passed onto.
2007-11-15 10:29:58 · answer #1 · answered by Mordent 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Well there isn't enough ice in the polar caps and glaciers to cover the world in water but if there was, or somewhere a population became isolated where they had to take to the sea we would not evolve back - you can't recover lost genetic information but can adapt new ones - or develop drastic adaptations like Kevin Costner's gills in Waterworld but some more realistic adaptations marine humans could develop would be webbed hands and feet ( a mutation sometimes seen in humans now), a subdermal fat layer for insulation and boyancy, lung and metabolism change to hold breath longer.
2007-11-15 10:38:20 · answer #2 · answered by Sage Bluestorm 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Assuming we were not intelligent that's what would happen. Only the most aquatic proficient individuals would survive, and MANY land species would not have time to adapt and would completely die out, but SOME would most likely survive and steadily transform into more aquatic-savy forms.
That said, unlikely it would ever happen to humans. Within a relatively short time we will be able to purposely change our genes, and that's the end of "unplanned" evolution. Also, much easier to have boats than have the majority of people die in each generation so we can breed the more water-oriented ones.
2007-11-15 10:35:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the world becomes covered with water, HUMANS and other creatures that can't breathe water won't be evolving in any shape or form.
However, the creatures in sea might undergo some changes...
2007-11-15 10:29:04 · answer #4 · answered by Big John Studd 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If we evolved... how did our ancestors who were weaker than we are manage to survive the harse climates that they lived in. Yet Global warming or climate change just may be the end of man kind. Why did the universe evolve us just to be destroyed
2007-11-15 10:34:20 · answer #5 · answered by Tommiecat 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We might evolve into a species that can live in water. But it's not like people would start turning back into fish or anything.
2007-11-15 10:30:15 · answer #6 · answered by Doc Occam 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No, we'll probably all drown...
It would take millions of years to transform humans into water-adapted creatures.
BTW, there isn't enough water on Earth to cover all the land. At worse, New York will be 200 feet under-water... sunken cities are kinda cool.
2007-11-15 10:29:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Evolutionary pressure doesn't automatically lead to successuful adaptation. We'd probably just go extinct, like 99% of all the species who've ever lived.
2007-11-15 10:30:04 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
now I know that creationists are going to use this to say "science is ridiculous! Look what they believe" but still:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquatic_ape_hypothesis
2007-11-15 10:29:31 · answer #9 · answered by Take it from Toby 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋