Dinosaurs were replaced by smaller creatures, will humans evolve into minature creatures in the future ?

Question

If you see history of living organisms, we can notice similarity with that of electronic industry. Huge creatures replaced by miniature versions the way the first mammoth sized computer gave way to palm top computer!! Our planet is getting overpopulated, I guess people and animals will also become smaller in size to adjust with space limitation over time ? Thoughts welcome

Answer 1

Evolution is selected for by the environment, so there is no answer to this -- no one can know based upon our current environment.

As for everything becoming smaller, that is not the case. Homo Neanderthalis was quite large and is the most recent ancestor.

From Austrolopithicus Afarensis came rather large-headed specimines that were evolutionary dead ends. Our very own cranial capacity has grown massively, though our dentition has become quite smaller.

Evolution does not select for smaller-is-better. It selects whatever suits the environment.

Answer 2

Evolution? Our evolution doesnt stop.Doesnt need 10 000 y . to do so but much more ,much more years .As the climate change,all the little radiation around that we dont feel for NOW ,think of it cell phones ,electricity, all unvisible waves,modyfied food ,detergents that we use in our everyday life ,the noise , the poluted air and many other things that we just dont think of them in our normal lives but they do harm more or less our cells.WE cant see it now but after a million of years then we will be changed for sure,for example : the muscle we use less it doesnt grow as the others we use often.And thats why the change will happen but not suddenly sure we will live in future but who knows where and in what shape of our body.

Answer 3

While it has been a recent trend towards larger humans, compared to the first homo sapiens we are smaller and less robust. This can partly be explained by the advent of cooked food. Right now, it does not seem like smaller humans are more reproductively fit than larger ones, but anything could happen in the future, and a population crises could be a factor in shaping our future evolution. Not a bad idea.

Answer 4

Dinosaurs weren't replaced by smaller creatures. Dinos were unable to adapt to the changing enviornment, died out- or evolved into birds (but these were smaller dinos that managed that).

The species that were able to capitalize on the vacuum at the top first and fastest were the mammals.

The first Dinos were tiny, and were among the first to capitalize on the rebirth of the world after a massive extinction.

When Humans are wiped out with most of the other dominant land and sea animals in the next mass-extinction; a small creature will be first to take our place- because of the small size for exactly the same reasons why Mammals, Dinos and other dominant species did- timing.

Answer 5

Beverid is right but, dwarfism among species can be induced by a limited food supply.  We've seen this among several species confined to islands with a limited food supply.  Postive selection for a specific gene only happens when a crisis situation is forced on a species' population (bottle neck theory). To date we've not had a situation that favors survival of a smaller human, so we've continued to get bigger.

Answer 6

Actually, humans are getting taller due to better health afforded to us by our technology.  Dinosaurs were not replaced by smaller creatures, smaller creatures were the only ones who survived the asteriod 65 million years ago.

It is an interesting thought though...

Answer 7

You have an interesting, if unoriginal (I realize that you make no such claim) idea. It would appear that downsizing has been prealent in evolution.

You are assuming, however, that humans will have a future. I believe it appears logical that we, as a species, will have a future but the question begs:

can the ignorance that rules the world be overcome in time for us to avoid the planet's first species induced mass extinction?