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.
James Carville.
No, of course there is no evidence. Everyone knows it was a magic spell that poofed life into existence.
Homo Superior!
Home sapiens sapiens becomes....
Homo Adipos Bardus
Didn’t you hear? Barack and Michelle are the new stage of evolution!
How else can we explain the amazing awesomeness we feel about them?!
Humans are devolving not evolving.
Many of them are asses already.
Involving a Big Bang and a lightning bolt?
You picks yer poofs and you takes yer chances.
Most of them still think the giraffe streeeeeeeeetched its neck, and then its baby had a slightly longer neck at birth, and streeeeeeeeeetched its neck, and so on.
The “outer space” theory is much more reasonable; I have two sons who are certifiably aliens.
One type of human is evolving - from Democrat to Liberal - each generation has brought liberal to a new level - how low can one go.
If wishful thinking actually benefitted future generations, Smilin’ Bob would be living in a van down by the river.
And I’d be taller, and have straight hair and small feet. Oh, well.
Yes, We can see changes taking place right before our eyes.
Humans are becoming smaller as they are forced into tiny tin box cars. The larger humans are dying out as they are crushed by airbags into child size bucket seats.
Eyesight too is being affected as staring at computer screens causes near-sightedness. Nearly blind bloggers are walking into dangerous areas of big cities where the predators have excellent night vision and the near-sighted are helpless to defend themselves against dying newspaper attacks.
The human mind is evolving too into a highly specialized organ capable of making lightening fast choices from a very limited fast food menue or an election ballot.
A very complicated self defense mechanism prevents the mind from realizing how few real choices are being made.
Finally language is evolving into simplified forms from the older languages that actually used old fashioned sounds called words to communicate. Now the the three large language groups are, Huh?, Duh!, and the declining Yo!
The founder of this theory, Dullwin, called it the Origin of Runts, Punts and Grunts. Doh!
bttt
Before glasses were invented, near-sightedness would be such a huge disadvantage I wonder why so many people suffer from it. The only theory I heard was that while the sharp-eyed hunters were out chasing mammoths, the near-sighted stayed back with the women of the tribe and "gathered nuts and berries (cough, cough)".
Well, we already have that in a way, don't we shibumi? The question is, will they be able to breed with each other, thus to propagate the new species?
The article states, "human evolution [as] a continuing process is widely accepted among anthropologists." Well, that just clinches it! I gather this is Darwinian macroevolution being referenced here. As if it were Holy Writ. At a time when this theory is coming under increasing scrutiny and pressure even from peers.
Then there's this: Utah anthropologists contend that “human evolution has accelerated in the past 10,000 years, rather than slowing or stopping.'" How would they know that? From the fossil record?
Yikes. And more yikes....
Thanks for the ping, shibumi!
Oh really, professor? And your proof for this almost certain variant is - what? Decreasing African morbidity from HIV infection? Fewer cases being reported? A recovery/remission in five, three people or one person?
Surely, an "almost certain" appraisal is based on more than wishful projection?
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