Evolution Continues.

[swestrup]

It seems that more and more scientists are coming to the conclusion that Human evolution, rather than having halted, is moving faster than ever before in our history. The reason is that Human culture, far from having insulated us from evolutionary pressures has, instead, completely changed what it takes to be successful, and there is intense pressure to adapt.

Comments

[sps.livejournal.com]

How many people do you meet, with an opportunity (in principle) to breed? How many ways are there to die? There was never any question about this. The problem is a teleological one: many, perhaps most, people, even among biologists, can't seem to get the idea that there is a direction to evolution out of their heads. When they say 'human evolution has been subverted, progress has stopped,' what they mean is that the more control we have over our behaviour, or environment, and our genome, the less certain they are that we're following god's plan (for whatever value of god or fate they might subconsciously believe in).

[swestrup]

Its worse than that. The article states that many geneticists find it impossible to believe that evolution is a force that might apply to *them*.

I find this mind-boggling.

[sps.livejournal.com]

...And you say this speaking as someone who doesn't want to die? ;)

[swestrup]

True, but I also want to speciate, so I imagine it all evens out. ;-)

[kallisti.livejournal.com]

I would think that the only organism that isn't evolving is a dead one!

ttyl