Is it possible for humans to evolve?

[CharonY]

It's all about passing genes onto your offspring, and evolution is the change in these genes over time, from one generation to hundreds.

 

Small nitpick, what you describe does not necessarily qualify evolution. Evolution is always an observation on the population. Changes in a gene is not necessarily an evolutionary even, unless it spreads in a population (and thus leading to a change in the overall allele frequencies of a population). Evolution is the change of allele frequencies over time and it does not even need the rise of new alleles. For instance, if in a population absolutely no mutations occur, but due to some events (e.g. selection) certain alleles will get eliminated, we would still observe evolution as there will be a change in the overall allele frequencies (due to the loss of certain alelles over time).

 

or the tendency in North East England of mining families, who had to work in cramped environments underground, to produce smaller children even with a similar diet to their taller classmates.

 

This is a little bit hard for me to swallow. Even if they were mining families for a lot generations, what actually happened? Did all taller children die in the mines?

[JaKiri]

Small nitpick, what you describe does not necessarily qualify evolution.

 

That's perfectly true.

 

This is a little bit hard for me to swallow. Even if they were mining families for a lot generations, what actually happened? Did all taller children die in the mines?

 

Yeah, it's natural selection at its finest. The tallest people didn't get shorter, they just didn't breed (back problems, more likely to killed* in mine accidents, whatever).

 

*I saw this in a study done for a Miner's Gala in Durham a few years ago. I won't be able to find a copy and can't find it online, so we can ignore this one if you like.

 

Anyway, it's a fairly noticeable example - I grew up in the north east, and the taller members of the community were from families that had either moved there from elsewhere or were traditionally middle class or better.

[silkworm]

So you're all saying that we will evolve if our environment changes...a very big change at that. But how do we evolve? Will we grow fur if our environment suddenly becomes colder (IceAge)? Grow fur, grow gills...something like that...mutate?

 

No, we're saying that there is too much gene flow among the entirety of the human species for one to branch off and be different than other groups of the human species where we'd have 2 seperate human species at the same time.

 

And no. Say you have someone from the south pacific who moves up north, he will not grow fur. If he's dressed the same in the south pacific as he will up north he likely will freeze to death, but us human have invented coats and houses so such a thing isn't a problem. However, back in the days before coats and houses the most successful in northern tribes were the hairy (and white due to vitamin D) , so Northerners are relatively more hairy and white compared to those in warmer climates.

[alice]

Thank you, again, for all the replies! No more questions from me about this anymore. I think I understand what you all mean. Thanks again!

[Kylonicus]

If we underwent to genetic alterations, we could change into a different species.

 

If a genetic caste system gets put in place(which would never happen while the U.S or Europe had a significant amount of power, but the U.S and Europe are declining due to militaristic arrogance, reckless spending, overextension, socialist policies, ludditism, Peak Oil, and globalization) then it may not be very long before we have two different species.

 

If there is one group of people who are engineered to be perfect, and ontop of that have non-human or artificial genes that give them significant advantages, then it may not take long at all to create a new species.

 

The downside of course is, if your not part of the new geneticly modified class, then that could be a problem. Most likely(unfortunately) it's going to be dictators/politicians, and the super rich, whose offspring will be blest with this technology.

[JaKiri]

If we underwent to genetic alterations' date=' we could change into a different species.

 

If a genetic caste system gets put in place(which would never happen while the U.S or Europe had a significant amount of power, but the U.S and Europe are declining due to militaristic arrogance, reckless spending, overextension, socialist policies, ludditism, Peak Oil, and globalization) then it may not be very long before we have two different species.

 

If there is one group of people who are engineered to be perfect, and ontop of that have non-human or artificial genes that give them significant advantages, then it may not take long at all to create a new species.

 

The downside of course is, if your not part of the new geneticly modified class, then that could be a problem. Most likely(unfortunately) it's going to be dictators/politicians, and the super rich, whose offspring will be blest with this technology.[/quote']

 

Alas, no.