Why would it happen any faster for us than other animals? Especially considering we tend to now adapt our environment to suit us, rather than adapt to our environment?
Through technological advancement, we might one day be able to tailor our own evolution, though, as well as the rapidity of it.
I also don't see why as a species we'd split into two, considering how much we mix with one another now. Some insurmountable geographical division or societal apartheid would have to happen over hundreds of thousands of years.
Lol we mix with eachother? Cross countries? Races? Yes. But intelligence-wise? I think not. There perhaps is a societal apartheid. Just look at the chawners...you heard of them? That to me seems to be what the other human species will look like and behave like. Im sure some scientists have come up with this theory already.
Why would evolution be happening at a faster rate in humans?
Also, none of what you said would be a reason for the human species to split into two types; a stupid species and a smart species. I don't believe we do have a societal apartheid.
But by saying 'happening at a fast rate in humans', you must be comparing it to something non-human? What do you think is evolving at a slow rate? By what are you comparing it to?
How are we supposed to answer your question without these details? :P
I initially was going to write "faster." It is actually hard to read the question without reading it as "faster," but thats not intentional. Just looked online, this article says 100, 000 years. So i don't know if its fast, but scientist are thinking of it as a theory that could happen. I said "theory" and "could happen" so don't hold me to it.
Ha I do actually remember reading about that when it came out (9 years ago! Time flies).
I don't put much faith in the theory, really. Anybody can make wild speculations about the evolutionary trajectory our species might take. LSE's Oliver Curry's guess isn't really any better than yours or mine.
Still, funny to wonder about :)
My guess is that we won't split. Nor will we get taller - I'd actually predict the opposite, that we'll shrink overall. Shorter people tend to live longer, and there isn't much of an advantage to being tall in a modern developed country reliant upon technology. We're more sedentary, so I expect we'd adapt to a slower lifestyle; slower metabolism, less muscle mass, fatter bums, slower heart rate / lower blood pressure. We might also lose more of our hair, and that curved spine might become totally straight, or increasingly curved.
Is evolution happening in humans?
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I doubt it, though it's hard to measure.
Why would it happen any faster for us than other animals? Especially considering we tend to now adapt our environment to suit us, rather than adapt to our environment?
Through technological advancement, we might one day be able to tailor our own evolution, though, as well as the rapidity of it.
I also don't see why as a species we'd split into two, considering how much we mix with one another now. Some insurmountable geographical division or societal apartheid would have to happen over hundreds of thousands of years.
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Lol we mix with eachother? Cross countries? Races? Yes. But intelligence-wise? I think not. There perhaps is a societal apartheid. Just look at the chawners...you heard of them? That to me seems to be what the other human species will look like and behave like. Im sure some scientists have come up with this theory already.
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Why would evolution be happening at a faster rate in humans?
Also, none of what you said would be a reason for the human species to split into two types; a stupid species and a smart species. I don't believe we do have a societal apartheid.
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There was no mention of the word "faster" in my post only "fast" which with no comparison is a bit meaningless.
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Ah sorry - maybe that was my misunderstanding.
But by saying 'happening at a fast rate in humans', you must be comparing it to something non-human? What do you think is evolving at a slow rate? By what are you comparing it to?
How are we supposed to answer your question without these details? :P
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I initially was going to write "faster." It is actually hard to read the question without reading it as "faster," but thats not intentional. Just looked online, this article says 100, 000 years. So i don't know if its fast, but scientist are thinking of it as a theory that could happen. I said "theory" and "could happen" so don't hold me to it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6057734.stm
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Ha I do actually remember reading about that when it came out (9 years ago! Time flies).
I don't put much faith in the theory, really. Anybody can make wild speculations about the evolutionary trajectory our species might take. LSE's Oliver Curry's guess isn't really any better than yours or mine.
Still, funny to wonder about :)
My guess is that we won't split. Nor will we get taller - I'd actually predict the opposite, that we'll shrink overall. Shorter people tend to live longer, and there isn't much of an advantage to being tall in a modern developed country reliant upon technology. We're more sedentary, so I expect we'd adapt to a slower lifestyle; slower metabolism, less muscle mass, fatter bums, slower heart rate / lower blood pressure. We might also lose more of our hair, and that curved spine might become totally straight, or increasingly curved.