R humans disturbing human evolution and destroying human Race ???

Question

Consider the stone age where evolution used to happen on the basis of "Survival of the fittest". Animals which are fit will survive and thus wipesout the weak ones of a race. eg., a zebra which runs slower in its group becomes the prey for a lion and only fit and strong will remain and produces stronger offspring. The same case for any species.

Consider the present evolution of humans where diseased and crippled are being provided the support to live by even providing reservations wherever possible. Isnt' it like going against the evolution, where human race becomes weaker and weaker. (Sorry to say this... but I have this doubt in my mind for a long time)

Answer 1

I've said for some time now, that the biggest factor that is disrupting human evolution is rapid response emergency medical services in rural areas.

But seriously, there is a pattern in nature.  Efficient design doesn't evolve.  Crocodiles and sharks are an excellent example.  They've remained the same for a very long time now.  Maybe humans have reached a similar status because of our technology.  As far as disease go, it is true that in the past natural selection would have eliminated those individuals, but who's to say that our technology isn't a natural part of our evolution?  Sure, it's totally different from any other animal, but it could explain why we seem to not be further evolving.

Answer 2

No, mankind is in fact improving all the time. But we are not evolving for maybe a few thousand years.

Answer 3

Diversity is not necessarily weakness as evolution is an ongoing process.  I suspect you are referring to "natural selection" which most often happens during periods of species crisis.  When a population is increasing, as humans have been doing for the last 3000 yrs, the weaker elements are not likely to be selected out.  One never knows which element will/might offer an advantage in a crisis or what the crisis might be... disease, famine, war, culture, attraction to the opposite s*x, climate change, production of offspring & many other factors determine natural selection.

While it is true that weaker traits are not now selected against, due to being cared for by our culture, prehistoric man also appears to have cared for their infirm.  We've found fossiles of disabled sapiens & neandertals that had obviously been cared for by tribal members for many years.

Answer 4

Why don't you ask Steven Hawking?

http://www.hawking.org.uk/home/hindex.ht...

Back in the 1920s this viewpoint was called "eugenics." Defined as:

"the study of or belief in the possibility of improving the qualities of the human species or a human population, esp. by such means as discouraging reproduction by persons having genetic defects or presumed to have inheritable undesirable traits"

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/e...

This lead to the involuntary sterilization of "defectives" and "Ultimately, 60,000 Americans were coercively sterilized — legally and extra-legally. Many never discovered the truth until decades later."

http://www.waragainsttheweak.com/

The movement reached it's height or nadir in n**i Germany. First came the "Law for the Prevention of Progeny with Hereditary Diseases." This law was far more directive than the Weimar government's plan. People with so-called hereditary illnesses had to be sterilized, even if they objected."

http://highschoolbioethics.georgetown.ed...

It's enough to say the killing and medical experimentation continued in the n**i concentration camps.

Answer 5

Icabod, Dr Hawking is in favour of some genetic engineering. He doesn't want anyone else to suffer like him.

Some of the apparent 'defects' like asthma and sickle cell are there for a good reason. Under primitive conditions they provide a resistance to parasites and malaria.

People seriously sickly will still produce less offspring. The same can't be said of the less intelligent though. Maybe we should be taking steps to encourage graduates to reproduce more.

Answer 6

There's more than just biology.  There is ethics and morality.  That's what makes us different than animals.

Answer 7

By disturbing & destroying a portion of the human race, that still IS, a particular type of evolutionary direction!