Are Humans Still Evolving?

Question

Use specific examples to back up your idea! No one is right or wrong. :)

Answer 1

As long as mutations exist within a species, evolution will occur given that the animal survives and reproduces.  This includes human beings.  Some people tend to mistake Darwin's idea of "the survival of the fittest" to mean that each animal has evolved to be perfectly adapted to their environment and they conclude that evolution is discontinued in a species that flourishes and dominates the environment.  In actuality, the animal that is just barely able to adapt and reproduce survives as well.  This leaves much room for evolution.

Answer 2

Of course we are.  All living organisms are constantly adapting and evolving.

Answer 3

Yes!

This evolution is more sociological and psychological. From the direct interaction of the cave-man to his environment, a social system has grown and evolved. Mutual dependence has given rise to the evolution of social norms. Exchange of agricultural products by mutual con cent has resulted in civil basis for trading. The social contacts, trading, war......have precipitated a mental frame over the physical one.

A human in a civic society is continuously and constantly interacting and evolving so that he can be an effective participant in his social/economic/cultural/spiritual aspects..

Answer 4

Yes, non stop. A great example is the gene that makes Europeans lactose tolerant. It only appeared about 8,000 years ago but has ended up in 95% of the Northern European population. It allows you to drink cows milk into adulthood, without needing to turn it into cheese the way the majority of the world has to, as lactose gives most humans alive digestive problems. This gives a person access to more calories, calcium and vitamin D. Apparently a really good idea as far as natural selection goes.

Another example is how humans are adapting to eat a more grian based diet. Priot to 10,000 years ago only a few populations on the Nile and in the Levant ate grain, most hunter gatherers ate a meat based diet (about 65% flesh). People like that eat that kind of diet are usually very insulin resistant, prone to diabetes, obesity and female infetility on a high grain diet. They also have kidneys designed to process more purines, and they tend to be gluten intolerant.

http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v56/n...

Modern European populations have evolved to tolerate more carbohydrate in their diet, and maintain higher homeostatic levels of uric acid in their blood. If you take a look at recently modernised people like the Aborigines, they really don't handle a high carbohyrate diet well, they're obese and sickly on it. They have much better health when they go back to bush tucker. A lot of Europeans are still gluten intolerant, uncommon in the middle East.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbi...

Also, Europeans are more tolerant of alcohol than East Asians. Historically, Europeans sterilised their drinking water with alcohol, and East Asians boiled it for tea. This has made Europeans more tolerant of alcohol, in both the immediate (takes us a bit longer to get drunk, we don't get a 'flush' from it) and long terms (slower to damage liver, etc).

Answer 5

We do not need to grow another finger.  We are evolving in consciousness.  Yes.

Many people are becoming less controlled by incessant thinking and are realizing that they are not their thoughts or their mind/ego chatter.

Answer 6

Yes, and it can be seen in a surprisingly short time.  The most apparent recent effects are associated with better nutrition.  People are generally getting taller.  I've even noticed this in the military surplus available--beginning 20 years ago, a lot was being surplused out as various countries increased the standard size ranges for everything from uniforms to fighter pilot helmets.  There's also a trend that shows our mouths getting smaller in response to more nutrient-rich foods.

Answer 7

We have to adapt in order to survive. We have to adapt everyday because our world is constantly changing, by weather or the atmosphere. especially climates