Has societal conformity cause the end of biological evolution?

Question

It is a known fact that mutated genes with identical input (incestuous relations) can cause that gene to be dominant and result in a mutation in the offspring.

In the old days, clans of microorganisms grouped together and breeded amongst each other. We had mutations. That led to apes, and now humans.

In today's world, incest is a thing of the past. It is culturally taboo. Also, since there are so many different mates to choose from, it is highly unlikely that a common mutated gene will be enforced when humans mate.

Furthermore, if a non-conforming trait, such as an extra arm, surfaces on an offspring, doctors immediately cut it off so that person will look 'normal'.

Is the freezing of evolution a product of society and culture? Has societal conformity cause the end of biological evolution?

Answer 1

No, because biological evolution never happened in the first place.  We were created.  If we came from apes, why do we still have apes?

Answer 2

No, but your evolutionary ignorance means that evolutionary theory needs to be taught in our schools!

Most genes causing such deleterious mutations as you speak of are recessive and only expressed in the homozygous condition.

Mutations are random and have nothing to do with mate selection.

Assortative mating keeps the variation needed by natural selection front and center.

Evolution, the change in allele frequency over time in a population, may be influenced by society and culture, as they are part of the environment, but evolution in the biological sense does not stop.

" Evolutionarily ignorant!! "

I did make the statement, but you can not understand it; any more than you understand the refutation to your ridiculous idea Bravozulu gave you!

Answer 3

As long as we have 6.6 billion Homo sapiens on the planet, and inter-continental air flights over 100 times per day, worldwide, I believe that our genetic pool is being stirred & mixed adequately, for the time being!

Should we have a global cataclysm, or a nuclear disaster, that takes away our use of electricity, and sends us back to the "Steam Age", or further, then we may need to be concerned!

Answer 4

Evolution is not significantly driven by a recessive gene finding a way to express itself.  It will usually be eliminated because the offspring is not as fit.  It certainly plays a role like in founder effects but evolution is driven by selection and not mutation or the forced expression of mutations.  Selection is slow and not obvious especially in a rapidly growing population.  Only much time will tell what direction evolution will take our species.  I think it is a better strategy to get genes from a fit more distantly related mate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founder_eff...

Answer 5

Incest may very well have been the reason for genetic abnormalities in the past, but how do you explain the genetic abnormalities that are still present? Answer is that we cannot really predict how our genes are going to act- so many things can affect the way our genes pair up and give rise to a human baby. Even with no incest, there are abnormalities such as Down's syndrome (trisomy of gene 16) and Down's is not something that can be surgically corrected. So my point is that societal constraints on our sexual behaviors have very little to do with how our genes act. True that incest may increase a baby's chances of having disabilities, but that doesn't mean that every baby born to parents who are not related are perfectly healthy. I truly think that nature determines which of us are meant to survive to run the race to be the fittest- some of us just don't qualify for the race(therefore genetic abnormalities)

Answer 6

Whatever you say God, you are most worthy.......

Answer 7

Extra arms aren't genetic. They are normally the result of an absorbed fetus. They are notably stunted and are often in the way.

There are still populations that for various reasons live apart and are closely related. They suffer a number of hereditary birth defects.

The question that arises is what would the next evolutionary advance look like? If we saw it, would we know it? Bob Heinlein in "Day After Tomorrow" has a human mutation where the person simply was more civilized then anyone else.