Is human evolution speeding up?

MSNBC ^ | 12-10-07 | Randolph E. Schmid

[Renfield]

Residents of various continents becoming increasingly different

~~~snip~~~

If evolution had been proceeding steadily at the current rate since humans and chimps separated 6 million years ago, there should be 160 times more differences than the researchers found.

That indicates that human evolution had been slower in the distant past, Harpending explained.

“Rapid population growth has been coupled with vast changes in cultures and ecology, creating new opportunities for adaptation,” the study says. “The past 10,000 years have seen rapid skeletal and dental evolution in human populations, as well as the appearance of many new genetic responses to diet and disease.”

And they found that different changes are occurring in Africans, Asians and Europeans

~~~snip~~~

[Renfield]

Human Evolution ping...

[ASA Vet]

flute thread ping

[samtheman]

Fitness Has Fallen Since The Days Of Ancient Greece

[Bruinator]

This seems to speak more on adaptation rather than evolution. The two terms get confused.

[stuartcr]

Perhaps evolution has not been proceeding steadily at the current rate since humans and chimps separated 6 million years ago!

[blam]

Human Evolution Seems to Be Accelerating (Jews evolved from "financing!")

Humans Are Still Evolving - And It's Happening Faster Than Ever

[junta]

Yes of course a book that was reviled by the phonies who took “Evolution” for cheap political theatrics correctly called this it was the “Bell Curve.” I read it and it changed my entire outlook on the political process.

[AZConcervative]

Yep, took about 24 hours

[Brilliant]

I would call it “devoluion.”

[Brilliant]

I would call it “devolution.”

[Gamecock]

I would call it “devoluion.”

[Aquinasfan]

And they found that different changes are occurring in Africans, Asians and Europeans

So which is shaping up as the superior race?

I'm thinking that maybe this is a road that we really don't want to go down again.

[reegs]

[Mogollon]

Tntra-species variation does not equal evolution. Higher lactose intolerance among asians was the main premise for the ignorant title of the article.

[junta]

Put a spell on them then. BTW that was a horrible response, better left to a whiteness studies professor than someone who has claim to literacy.

[mngran2]

So which is shaping up as the superior race?

Just because things are different doesn't mean one has to be superior. It's like asking, "Which is superior, purple or orange?" It's a nonsense question.

[z3n]

why is it that every time I read stuff like this, it just sounds like some bored old academics conjured some new stuff up at a coffee house pow wow.
It always seems to contradict other things they have been saying, and often includes garbage that would get your butt beat if you said it in a bar.

I love the bit about how evolution is accelerating, yet later it conjectures about how successful jews in northern Europe had larger families, thus increasing intelligence in their gene pool. Well, modern society seems to promote larger offspring counts for the least successful. What does that say bout your 'accelerating evolution'?

[LiteKeeper]

YEC INTREP

[Kirkwood]

“This seems to speak more on adaptation rather than evolution. The two terms get confused.”

Well, you sure are confused. Maybe if you had even bothered to read the article you would know that this was a comparative study of genes, not behavior.