Natural Selection in humans (best answer 10pts)?

Question

Today in class we learned about Darwin's theory of Natural Selection. The idea is that for natural selection to occur it is based upon three main components: s*x, Security, and Food. But have we not altered all three of these aspects i.e. artificial insemination (s*x), food grown in labs (food), the lottery (security)? Also, in the past a woman would choose a mate who was economically endowed...now with more women in the working class (some of whom gross more than their mate) wouldn’t this rule out the idea of security?

* I could also go on and on about how technology and intelligence has altered natural selection (i.e. people who would have died of disease and other things are now cured by modern medicine) but I have enough of that info!!!

thanks to all who help!!!!

Answer 1

Social Darwinism is the idea that we should live according to natural selection, but no one actually believes that - least of all scientists who study it.  That would mean we just let people die of disease, accidents, etc, and don't attempt to help others in need.  That goes contrary to the ideas of medicine, charity, etc in our society.  We're doing the best we can to eliminate natural selection in our lives, but we'll never overcome it entirely.  And perhaps we shouldn't.

Answer 2

Its all about fitness in the Darwinian sense.  Fitness meaning  how well suited are you to make sure your genes survive.  To a man, this is easy.  Men can have as many children as women they can impregnate. Its all about bettering the odds through numbers.  For women, they only get one shot a month and if get pregnant they have to make sure the baby is born, and then that the baby survives to carry on the next generation.  

I do agree that the comforts of modern society have to a great degree removed the selective pressures guiding the evolution of the human race.  Our evolution has slowed but there is never a shortage of new problems that need to be solved, either by evolution of our race or evolution of our sciences.

Answer 3

Who told you that nonsense!

Natural selection is based on random mutation/recombination and selection pressure.

It is found that women who have great resources and status want men with greater resources and status, thus destroying your security explanation.

Evolution pays in the coin of reproductive success and we always were a very social species that took care of our own. All of the environment and development are selective pressures and always have been. You are confused between two levels of analysis; the proximate and ultimate. Did you think that you could derail natural selection without even understanding it? Forgetting sexual selection. What class is this? Social science?

You need educated in evolutionary processes.

http://www.talkorigins.org

http://www.actionbioscience.org ( click on evolution )

The horses mouth.

http://www.darwin-online.org.uk

http://www.aboutdarwin.com