Does the law of natural selection apply to human beings?

Question

Does the law of natural selection apply to human beings?

Answer 1

We're a part of it, one with nature.

Answer 2

Yes, natural selection always has a play in the selection of life.  Human technology, in recent times, has had some effect by allowing those that would have died before reaching a reproductive age to reproduce.  Culture still plays a role in the ability of some in dominate roles to produce more offspring, or raise the offspring to a reproductive age. Recent research indicates those in Western societies with an IQ above 110 produce only 1/3 the number of surviving offspring as those with an IQ below 95... causing some concern as to what natural selection is producing.  The people with the highest IQs are the least likely to produce offspring & those with an IQ above 125 have only a 30% chance of producing any offspring.

Answer 3

nope...just to the insurance companies.....

Answer 4

Yes, Natural Selection is a law that has very few if any exceptions. We are subject to it just as are fruit flies and oak trees.

But it is a beneficent law that looks out for our own interests and tries its best to keep our species alive.

Answer 5

No:

1. the poor and unsuccessful can have lots of kids and spread their genes.

2. look up eugenics, it does not work.

Answer 6

We evolved and were subject to natural selection.  With the onset of civilization we are still subject to a type of natural selection.  However, due to medical technology and other factors many survive that would not have in "nature".  

But, I say that since we came from nature that we are still apart of it.  And, that there is nothing "unnatural" about people's civilization and I would suppose some type of natural selection is still occurring.  But, it may be a different.

Answer 7

Not really.  That is the Ghost in the Machine.  We find cures for diseases that would normally kill people.  Plus stupid people are smart enough to figure out how to reproduce.  In fact, they are often too stupid to prevent it.

Answer 8

Of course it does.

Answer 9

Well, natural selection does occur in weeding out the sick. I guess we've stalled natural selection by being able to mess with our DNA and genes. I mean, to pick the s*x of a baby is outstanding. And to artificially clone animals, who knows how long it will be before scientists clone humans.

However I believe that natural selection inlcudes the psychological stature of humans and animals. A mammal may be born with brute strength and muscle and speed, but if it's retarded, the animal wont survive. It's the same with humans

Answer 10

Natural selection certainly played a role in humankind in the past.  One could argue that it no longer has the same effect as it does on other species.  Humans have used their intelligence to alter the natural effects of selection.  I for one am an example.  As a type I diabetic I would not have survived to sire offspring a thousand years ago, even 200 years ago.  Now thanks to modern medical science I am fully capable of passing on my genetic load to a future generation.  The same is true for any number of genetic 'defects'.  Crones disease, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, Marfan syndrome, Huntington’s disease, and hereditary hemochromatosis are just a few more examples that are treatable but not curable and can now be passed on.

Natural selection still functions on a multitude of levels but our inventiveness and desire to help our fellow man creates an anomoly in relation to genetics and natural selection.

Answer 11

yes.

Answer 12

Yes it does.  Such things as immunity to diseases such as AIDs will result in evolution of modern humans.  The direction natural selection will take may be difficult to ascertain and the term natural may not be very appropriate if intentional methods are used for genetic "health."

Answer 13

God no, do you see the type of people breeding at will in this world now?

Brittney and Fediline? Seriously if I could eat those babies to save humanity I would!

Answer 14

Indeed, but since we are considered a super predator, with no real contestant to the trone, we are somewhat left alone! Our society (at this stage at least), is taking care of the cast asides, so we have little filtration system that eliminate the weak and enforced the strong... But our natural selection has come up a level, by becoming a fight for social status... The weak are todays poor and moderate wages, while the stronger are the richs!! So for now, the rich prefer to have more weak, as they can become stronger and richer, so the population pyramid is reverse... Where we were supposed to have more of the strongest individuals and the least weakest individuals, we have come up with a system that favorise the poor (weak), over the rich (strong), in order to allow a diminishing group of strong individuals to gain in power...

I guess its the main difference right now...

Answer 15

Honestly, I think so but perhaps not in the most traditional of terms.  The forces driving natural selection in humans are more geared toward conditions within our own cultures rather than an arbitrary change in weather/game/environment/etc.

Answer 16

It used to, until we developed medicine and other safety measures to make sure we lived to adulthood and could procreate like crazy.

Natural selection tends to weed out the sick and frail.