Hans de Vries Posted April 15, 2021 Posted April 15, 2021 What if Mars was somehow made as habitable as the Earth and a group of humans was transported to it in 50,000 BC? Is 50,000 years from now until the present day long enough time for significant anatomical differences to evolve? What could they be?
MigL Posted April 15, 2021 Posted April 15, 2021 If Mars was as habitable as the Earth, there would not be any environmental forcings to favor selected mutations. If Mars wasn't habitable, they would all evolve to dead people. In between the two extremes is where the interesting stuff happens. If you provide no information, all you'll get is WAGs.
Ghideon Posted April 15, 2021 Posted April 15, 2021 (edited) 56 minutes ago, Hans de Vries said: What if Mars was somehow made as habitable as the Earth Does as habitable as the Earth include for instance identical atmosphere, temperature, vegetation, amount of sunlight and gravitation? If not, what are the differences between mars and earth in the scenario you speculate about? Edited April 15, 2021 by Ghideon
beecee Posted April 15, 2021 Posted April 15, 2021 I believe the only methodology to achieve what is suggested in the OP, is terraforming, and I have seen reputable time periods of millions of years for that to take place, if it is at all possible.
Hans de Vries Posted April 15, 2021 Author Posted April 15, 2021 46 minutes ago, Ghideon said: Does as habitable as the Earth include for instance identical atmosphere, temperature, vegetation, amount of sunlight and gravitation? If not, what are the differences between mars and earth in the scenario you speculate about? Gravity and sunlight stay the same but the pressure, atmospheric composition and biosphere stay as on Earth.
beecee Posted April 15, 2021 Posted April 15, 2021 19 minutes ago, Hans de Vries said: Gravity and sunlight stay the same but the pressure, atmospheric composition and biosphere stay as on Earth. That would mean terraforming, which takes millions of years.
Hans de Vries Posted April 15, 2021 Author Posted April 15, 2021 THen it happens by magic. Still an interesting scenario to consider.
beecee Posted April 15, 2021 Posted April 15, 2021 4 minutes ago, Hans de Vries said: Still an interesting scenario to consider. Sure it is, no argument on that. The points are that it would be difficult and take much much longer, and I'm not sure or qualified to say it could be done with today's technologies.
Ken Fabian Posted April 15, 2021 Posted April 15, 2021 50,000 years is short in evolutionary terms. Living with advanced medical care - even if it didn't include fertility treatments or IVF - would be different to free range humans living as hunter gatherers. I suspect selection, ie those with traits that are helpful survive and reproduce better and those without will do worse, but that would mostly be selection amongst existing variations rather than introducing new variations. More time needed for new variations through mutation.
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