Posted on 04/10/2009 1:57:18 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Human beings are not just evolving, the whole process has been put on the fast track by our genes responding to rapid changes in the world around us.
The pressures of modern life may be speeding up the pace of human evolution, some anthropologists think. Nowadays, the idea that “human evolution is a continuing process is widely accepted among anthropologists”, said Robert Wald Sussman, the editor of the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology at Washington University in St Louis.
It’s even conceivable, he said, that our genes eventually will change enough to create an entirely new human species, one no longer able to breed with our own species, Homo sapiens, report McClatchy Newspapers. The still-controversial concept of “ongoing evolution” was much discussed last week at the annual meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists in Chicago. It’s also the topic of a new book, ‘The 10,000 Year Explosion’, by anthropologists Henry Harpending and Gregory Cochran of the University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
In their book, the Utah anthropologists contend that “human evolution has accelerated in the past 10,000 years, rather than slowing or stopping. “The pace has been so rapid that humans have changed significantly in body and mind over recorded history.”
Evolutionary changes result when random mutations or damage to DNA from such factors as radiation, smoking or toxic chemicals create new varieties of genes. Some gene changes are harmful, most have no effect and a few provide advantages that are passed on to future generations. If they’re particularly beneficial, they spread throughout the population.
“Any gene variant that increases your chance of having children early and often should be favored,” Cochran said.
Despite modern medical and technological advances, the pressures that lead to evolution by natural selection have continued. The massive AIDS epidemic that’s raging in southern Africa, for example, is “almost certainly” causing gene variants that protect against HIV to accumulate in the African population, Harpending said.
Another anthropologist, John Hawks of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said, “Our evolution has recently accelerated by around 100-fold.” A key reason, Hawks said, is the enormous growth of the world’s population, which multiplies the size of the gene pool available to launch new varieties.
Someone hold me back!!
I feel myself spontaneously punctuating!!!
!?.,::;,,(.!)?!
Has anyone shown any evidence that a species has changed it’s genes enough to morph into a whole nother species?
Just curious.
Be careful. Helen Thomas pics could follow.
LLS
Dr. Suresh Agrees.
Calm down!
Enhance your equilibrium and wait patiently to punctuate.
I do think that with all the texting going on nowadays that the Human race will be Blind and have large thumbs.
Looks like the indoctrination didn’t exactly “take” with some of the evo crowd, either. This author has no idea what he or she is talking about. Isolation and “genetic bottlenecks” are credited with human evolution. Broadening the gene pool will cause a reversion to the norm.
Sounds like Governor Paterson is quite precocious.
Uh huh - we’re evolving - right back to the dark ages.
They already have it’s called DEMOCRATS!!!!!
Division into two species is more likely to occur with physically divided populations and conditions of extreme stress where survival of the fittest is most powerful. Between increased travel to reduce physical division and modern medicine and agriculture making just about everyone fit to survive until old enough to breed, I would say that we would now be evolving less than ever.
INTREP
Yes, they have.
And also evidence that they didn't.
You can weigh that evidence however you wish, and choose to believe either one.
Those most prone to arthritis in their thumbs will be crippled and too unable to communicate to find mates by the time they reach twelve. Only the fit with limber thumbs will pass their genes on.
No thanks... too many have been too calm for too long.
LLS
I’ve seen Idiocracy. I don’t know if it will be a new species, but they will be exceptionally stupid.
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