If the theory of evolution is correct, and living things such as humans adapt to their surroundings?

Question

Why hasn't the skin of the white people who live in Australia become any darker yet. I mean, some of their families have been there for a couple hundred years now and they still get sunburned worse than a white British person who goes to Spain on holiday. If this process was to happen, how long would it take?

SHANNY btw. I'm asking because of what you say about Australia not being a white population in the first place, because since white people have been put there, according to evolution, they will have to adapt to that environment, since it wasn't natural to them at first.

Answer 1

It's only been a couple of centuries. For it to make any difference over this period of time, there would have had to be an enormous death toll from skin cancer before childbearing age, or at least before one's children reached adulthood. There are examples of human evolution taking only a few hundred years though. African Americans are supposed to be more susceptible to heart disease than Africans because of a mutation that enabled them to survive on slave ships, but again the death toll was huge.

How long would it take? Well, that would depend on how strong the pressure to change was, and how likely a mutation increasing the number of melanocytes or melanin is, or how common it is in the population already.

What i think is much more likely is that over the next couple of hundred years there will be a lot more interracial conceptions and people will become intermediate in skin pigmentation. However, right now the mutations which allow white Australians to take advantage of technology such as shelter, chemotherapeutic agents, sun block and hats is far more important.

Answer 2

First of all, you say in your question that the theory of evolution means that people "adapt to their surroundings" this is wrong. Evolution says that those with traits that allow them to survive long enough to have children will pass those traits along.

Because of this, the australians would only develop darker skin if those with darker skin lived longer to have more children, and therefore passed the dark skin trait along. In other words, unless the lighter skinned people are dying off or not have kids for any other reason, there will be no evolutionary shift towards darker skin.

Answer 3

Think about it in terms of generations... Humans are pretty long lived (especially now). Evolutionary changes, even minor ones, and a change in skin tone would not be minor, take thousands of generations. A couple of hundred years would only be four or five generations, much to short for any sort of evolutionary change.

Think about it like this. Lets say people with darker skin are more successful in Australia. They survive better, they live longer. Over many generations, those with darker skin will reproduce more, and their offspring will have a higher survival rate. Over a long period of time (tens of thousands of years, perhaps longer), the people of Australia would be dark skinned.

Now this is dependent on the population of Australia being fixed, without people moving into or out of the country. With the amount of traveling we do now, permanently picking up and moving that is, I don't think we will see many specialized adaptations to specific areas. Not that we would live long enough to notice them anyways.

Answer 4

For two reason firstly the time period is just to short compared to our generation cycle. Second becuase we are very good at adapting our environment. The main reason to be dark skin is to protect you against skin cancer, but clothing and Factor 50 is doing that instead so their isn't really any evolutionary advantage for being white over black except for the manmade social one which is having an impact is Australia.

Answer 5

1st part and 2nd can be answered together.

By natural selection it would take constant exposure to the sun to produce a stress great enough to cause evolutionary impact. also take into account that in order for their to be selective pressure people have to die from exposure or skin diseases caused by over-exposure. This in turn may cause adaptation for survival.

How many people each year die of skin cancer? Not in large enough amounts to cause sudden selection. Maybe in a few thousand years you'll see a change? Remember that a generation is about 15 years. So a few hundred years is only 10 generations. How much do you look like your grandfather? That's 3 generations. You gotta think longer...

Answer 6

It takes a long time for genetic differences to arise. It doesn't help that we live so long either. A species like The Drosophila melanogaster with its extremely short life spam wouldn't even be able to genetically alter without the need of around a hundred thousand years to pass. Thats why the theory is so hard to prove. Even though its blatantly correct

Answer 7

In the beginning,they were mostly from England and Ireland,there by having light skin.The nature of the Brits. is to have light skin and burn easily. It may also had a lot to do with being in prison so long,as the island was a prison once, you know. They didn't see the sun much I guess. Never happen,but they would adapt to the situation. Long live the Ausie's

Answer 8

A few reasons.

1) Sun cream
2) Population is too large
3) It's been what? A few dozen generations since Australia was colonised?
4) natural selection only selects on existing mutations,it doesn't generate them.

Answer 9

Your answer: definite masturbation is a sin; don't think every person else they are deceived. right here is evidence, the Bible says to not have interaction in any unnatural or immoral sexual habit. Webster dictionary defines masturbation as having intercourse with one self. God advised Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply; hence having intercourse without self could be unnatural. additionally did you comprehend that your physique is effected via masturbation? whenever you masturbate you lose 3-5mg of Zinc. Zinc converts the female hormone in adult men to testosterone. The extra Zinc you lose the less manly you experience and act; quickly you will commence having gay suggestions even perhaps desires. right here is the attention-catching piece, whilst a woman and male have intercourse the male is compensated for loss Zinc with the aid of vaginal secretions. additionally, in case you lust whilst masturbating, your sinning. Jesus reported in case you even opt to place with a woman inimical on your spouse your committing sin. Now you comprehend. stay reliable and God will make issues weasy and easy for you.

Answer 10

Because people do not live outside in the sun all the time anymore. If they did, those who were easily susceptible to skin cancer would die off, leaving those who's skin could take the sun.