Has humans evolved sufficiently since the time of Jesus Christ?

Question

Has people changed a lot since the time of Jesus? Can Science show that are brains or parts of our bodies has changed any? If you know any articles on this subject, I love to know about it. Thanks a lot for the help.

Answer 1

Given that evolution generally takes hundreds if not thousands of generations, as those above have answered, the answer is suprisingly, yes, humans have undergone rather rapid evolution in the last 2,000 years.  In a recent study of human molecular genetics in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, evidence was presented that genes controlling the functioning of our immune system and the production of our digestive enzymes have been undergoing very rapid evolution in the last 2,000 years.  

Answer 2

You're only talking in terms of about 80 generations, and that's not very much in terms of evolutionary change.

<<Has people changed a lot since the time of Jesus?>>

Not much, although the culture has changed enormously.

Answer 3

I disagree with the statement that there are no evolutionary pressures.  There are always evolutionary pressures.  Even something as simple as eye color, height, intelligence, aggressiveness, athletic abilities, libido*** will affect the phenotypic make-up of subsequent generations.

There may be changes to our brain that have occurred in the past 2000 years, but these changes may not be anatomical.  They may involve levels of neurotransmittters produced, or some functional component that will not show up on any anatomically-based test.  For example, is the higher incidence of bipolar disease or the increased incidence of ADHD an example of physiological changes or simply an increased diagnostic sensitivity.  

In general, though, I agree that 2000 years or even 10,000 years is very short on the evolutionary scale.  But depending on the intensity of pressures, some changes can be seen in even that short a time.    

Answer 4

Time frame is too short and population is too large.  Remember the populations that evolve quickest are small, reproductively isolated with short generation times.  Humans have none of these characteristics.  I would doubt Humans have evolved very much in 10,000 years let alone 2000

Answer 5

Probably no real variation. 2000 years is less than 100 generations, and evolutive pressures are no longer significant.

What makes a specie evolve? The combination of mutations, changing conditions (that needs to be met by adaptation) and natural selection (survival of the fittest). There is not much of those going around since then; no large predators we have to flee, no requirement to adapt to new habitat (or habitat changing) since when we feel cold we dress warmly instead of needing to develop fur, and so on.

If there is change, it would be in the biochemical part rather than in the overall physical appearance. Having humans go everywhere on the planet exposed the specie to a lot of virus, and things like the plague probably have weeded out those less capable of resisting that disease. So, we may have developed additional resistance to pathogens.