Evolution

[Noremac]

If evolution is real what do yo think humans with evolve into?:hmmm:

[Pallantides]

Bald grey androgynous hermaphrodite aliens!

[Cúchulainn]

If evolution is real

There is no If.

what do yo think humans with evolve into?:hmmm:

Given what time-scale.

If the world collapses as a single entity, i.e. people can no longer travel across it at their leisure, then humans will evolve down whatever path is most beneficial to the isolated populations.

[Noremac]

There is no If.

shush or the fundies will attack!

[Wheelchair]

shush or the fundies will attack!

Why would they even be in the science Threads?

Hypocrites -_-

[Sphere]

If evolution is real what do yo think humans with evolve into?

But our key feature is intellectual superiority, and you will see bigger brains as humans evolve to cope with a more complex lifestyle and the difficulty of learning many languages in a global environment

Evolution is only driven by pressures in the environment which reduce the ability of individuals to reproduce such as shortages of food, predators, climate etc. Humans have few environmental pressures which reduce their ability to reproduce. Hell, you can be dead and still pass on your genes. There is no reason why traits that make "smarter" humans will be passed on more so tan "dumb" traits. Dumb people screw just as much as smart people. Dumb people don't get eaten by lions or starve because they cant find food.

In short 'dumb' people reproduce just as much as 'smart' people (if not more) so there is no reason to assume human intellect will be enhanced in the future.

[SoggyFrog]

What direction has our species always tended towards? To stand taller and stronger than all the former apes, and that is part of what will happen. But our key feature is intellectual superiority, and you will see bigger brains as humans evolve to cope with a more complex lifestyle and the difficulty of learning many languages in a global environment. As we the dexterity of our hands has become necessary, in the next species the sixth digit will emerge as the dominant trait, and...

No, no, no! That's not happening.

Stop reading Lamarck and start reading Darwin. Only once you've done that will you have any right to use "if" when you talk about the Theory of Evolution. Survival of the fittest is not something that applies to our species as is and might not apply even in the event of some global cataclysm.

[DisgruntledGoat]

Survival of the fittest is not something that applies to our species as is and might not apply even in the event of some global cataclysm.

Exactly humans long ago stopped evolving based on the concept of "survival of the fittest". Thanks to our evolved knowledge of science even the most UNFIT can survive. He now control our own evolutionary path. We aren't going to see telekenic super humans with massive brains and skulls, or a skinny super model species.

Humans naturally evolve in different ways at this point, as you said Darwin points to social evolution as being the predominante form for humans. And if you look at society and its habits from the time of Darwin till now you will see evolutionary changes at work. The way we commincate, the way we organize our society. Its constantly evolving to better suite humanity.

[Wodeson]

I can recommend a couple of good science fiction books based on this idea:

Evolution by Stephen Baxter
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear

[LegionnaireX]

Exactly humans long ago stopped evolving based on the concept of "survival of the fittest". Thanks to our evolved knowledge of science even the most UNFIT can survive.

Well I wouldn't say we have stopped evolving, just stopped evolving in the direction we want to go.

With diseased and crippled people now able to survive to reproduce, their damaged genes will further weaken our gene pool to the point of collapse. It sounds terrible but its true.

[Mithradates]

Well I wouldn't say we have stopped evolving, just stopped evolving in the direction we want to go.

With diseased and crippled people now able to survive to reproduce, their damaged genes will further weaken our gene pool to the point of collapse. It sounds terrible but its true.

Gene therapy?

We doesnt need to leave the diseased and crippled uncured since we have/will have the means to heal them, just because someone was born with a genetic deffect it doesnt means automatically that he must live with it in his entire life.

We have a fastly advancing technological civilization, fixing the damaged genes is not sci-fi, its the near future.

[DisgruntledGoat]

Well I wouldn't say we have stopped evolving, just stopped evolving in the direction we want to go.

With diseased and crippled people now able to survive to reproduce, their damaged genes will further weaken our gene pool to the point of collapse. It sounds terrible but its true.

But thats not evolution based on natural processes. Its evolution effected directly by human intervention. Which is exactly what I said.

[SoggyFrog]

You should read whole posts before you respond.

[Sphere]

That would stifle 95% of debate on these forumns

[SoggyFrog]

I agree that 95% of these forums should be purged.

But, in an attempt to give this thread life, I'd like to raise the point that sexual selection could be an active force in defining the human gene pool. I don't think it has much of an impact presently though.

Evolution could only occur if we were reintroduced to similar conditions as our genetic ancestors. Given the state of things, the absolute annihilation of our species is just as likely.

[Sphere]

Selective breeding, which is actually a more rapid process than evolution, is probably more likely to happen. If the events of the 1940's had turned out differently, tall, blond hair, blue eyes etc might have become prevalent. Who knows, in a thousands years a similar thing might occur.

I get what you are saying about sexual selection, but Eva Longoria isn't more likely to have kids than some fat 2 bit hoe with one leg. Alcohol isn't exactly considered in On the Origins of Species. And of all the variables in human society, I think the existence of alcohol is a very safe bet for staying around.

[Viking Prince]

Do not confuse genetic selection with mutation. Darwin was looking at selection and specialization -- some genetic drift may cause the rise of a new species. Darwin never did address the mutation side of evolution.

What will humans become? The answer has a great deal to do with genetic change and that is not predictable (unless we institute it consciously in the lab).

[megaflus]

we will get fatter, shorter because we sit down allot of the time (computers). and we will loose all hair on our heads because we do all this thing with spray, gel and cutting and all the crap we do to it.
oh and we will get bad eyer sight because of computers, not because of the computer itself but because we will get used to loocking at stuff up close and won't be able to see at long range.
it's what I think atleast

[Bernem]

long time evolution is simply not predictable, because of unknown changing selective pressures!

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/conten...t/296/5568/707

it's true for finches and most probably true for humans.

@Megaflus

what you describe are mostly acquired traits, which (unless epigenetics prove otherways) are not inherited.

for example: how does haircutting affect your germ cells?

Well your body stature is of course inherited, but if you propose that this stature type will dominate in human appearance in the future, you will have to explain me why these fat, short and short-sighted people will reproduce more often than others...

[TWoxy]

I was promised ignorant fundies - where are they?