Posted on 12/11/2007 4:00:09 AM PST by JACKRUSSELL
Humans are evolving more quickly than at any time in history, researchers say. In the past 5,000 years, humans have evolved up to 100 times more quickly than any time since the split with the ancestors of modern chimpanzees 6m years ago, a team from the University of Wisconsin found.
The study also suggests that human races in different parts of the world are becoming more genetically distinct, although this is likely to reverse in future as populations become more mixed.
"The widespread assumption that human evolution has slowed down because it's easier to live and we've conquered nature is absolutely not true. We didn't conquer nature, we changed it in ways that created new selection pressures on us," said anthropologist Dr John Hawks, who led the study.
The researchers analysed data from the international haplotype map of the human genome, and analysed genetic markers in 270 people from four groups: Han Chinese, Japanese, Africa's Yoruba and northern Europeans.
They found that at least 7% of human genes have undergone recent evolution. The changes include lighter skin and blue eyes in northern Europe and partial resistance to diseases such as malaria among some African populations, according to the study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Some of the changes were tracked back to just 5,000 years ago, and "today they are in 30 or 40% of people because they [are] such an advantage," said Hawks.
Many Chinese and African adults cannot digest lactose in milk, but across Europe a lactose-tolerance gene is now widespread. One reason is thought to be that at northern latitudes sunlight is weaker, so people make less vitamin D in their skin. Vitamin D is crucial for absorbing calcium, so being able to digest milk throughout life made people in colder climes healthier......
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
As long as I don’t grow a tail....claws, okay, good for self defense, but a tail.....AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!
So I guess there’s hope, then, that liberals will someday evolve to catch up with conservatives...
“Humans Are Still Evolving - And It’s Happening Faster Than Ever”
Is there a Hemi in that thing?
You mean that a new species has been found???
Actually what the author is discussing is adaptation, not evolution. The subjects are still humans.
Once some of them get to the point that they can’t procreate with humans then there might be something to talk about with respect to evolution. Until that time it’s just wishful thinking.
***************
LOL!
Agreed, there are no improvements. Devolution perhaps.
Anyone who doubts that humans evolve, sometimes instantaneously, should watch a presidential debate, where some humans manage to evolve during a single answer to a question.
50 years tops. Better living through germline engineering.
Rocking chair sales wouls plummet!
The relativly recent evolution of lactose tolerant persons was not likely the result of milk being a significant source of vitamin D, at least not until the new breed of milk fortifying marketers emerged in the 20th century.
Rapid Acceleration in Human Evolution Described
Reuters | Dec 10, 2007 | Will Dunham
Posted on 12/11/2007 3:34:37 AM EST by anymouse
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1937741/posts
Human Evolution Seems to Be Accelerating
(Jews evolved from “financing!”)
AP via Fox News | 12-11-07
Posted on 12/11/2007 11:28:45 AM EST by squireofgothos
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1937908/posts
Is human evolution speeding up?
MSNBC | 12-10-07 | Randolph E. Schmid
Posted on 12/12/2007 10:22:02 AM EST by Renfield
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1938386/posts
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Gods |
Blast from the Past. Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. |
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