is it possible for humans to evolve any further?

[LunarRay]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: sohdahere
We've been around for thousands of years and haven't changed much...

That should answer your question.

Actually we have. The average person is taller today than 2000 years ago, and has less hair in general.

I'm almost an inch and a half shorter in height than I was 35 years ago AND have less hair... something is screwy....

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: HJD1

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: sohdahere
We've been around for thousands of years and haven't changed much...

That should answer your question.

Actually we have. The average person is taller today than 2000 years ago, and has less hair in general.

I'm almost an inch and a half shorter in height than I was 35 years ago AND have less hair... something is screwy....

Heheh...it doesn't work like that. On AVERAGE people are taller (like 4" taller...most men used to average 5'6". Now they're 5'10) and have less hair. You're just on both sides of the scale

 

[Marshallj]

Originally posted by: HJD1
Quote by Plato or whoever

Talking to yourself again? lol

I am that I am and an audience of plenty enough for me... You are that you are and not a lessor one to me.... If merry seek you find I'll chortle too and say adieu a funny man are you.[/quote]

I guess it's alright to talk to yourself, as long as you don't argue with yourself. And if you do, you better win.

 

[Moonbeam]

Less hair and less height, but more brains.

 

[Wag]

I am now speaking to you from a medical cannister in an undisclosed location...

 

[glugglug]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
We're evolving right now. Currently, many professionals choose to delay having a family and as a result have fewer kids. For many countries, this is a big problem because their birthrates are less than replacement rate (eg korea, italy, others too.). But not everyone does this. "white trash", devout religious people and others tend to have much higher birth rates. These two traits are largely cultural but I bet they have some genetic component too (especially religion). They're the future. Evolution doesn't always work the way people think.

Our ancestors evolved calorie hoarding tendancies. In a technological society where food is plentiful, this is actually detrimental. Since obesity is considered to be less sexually attractive, the obese have fewer chances at reproduction and evolution is working here too.

The thing is though, evolution takes so fricken long we'll probably be cloning ourselves and genitically engineering ourselves before either of the two things I mentioned ever really get going.

Definately onto something there.... going further along those lines we will eventually be a society of rapists and sperm donors as they have the greatest chances for reproduction.

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: glugglug

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
We're evolving right now. Currently, many professionals choose to delay having a family and as a result have fewer kids. For many countries, this is a big problem because their birthrates are less than replacement rate (eg korea, italy, others too.). But not everyone does this. "white trash", devout religious people and others tend to have much higher birth rates. These two traits are largely cultural but I bet they have some genetic component too (especially religion). They're the future. Evolution doesn't always work the way people think.

Our ancestors evolved calorie hoarding tendancies. In a technological society where food is plentiful, this is actually detrimental. Since obesity is considered to be less sexually attractive, the obese have fewer chances at reproduction and evolution is working here too.

The thing is though, evolution takes so fricken long we'll probably be cloning ourselves and genitically engineering ourselves before either of the two things I mentioned ever really get going.

Definately onto something there.... going further along those lines we will eventually be a society of rapists and sperm donors as they have the greatest chances for reproduction.

that's why we must take evolution into our own hands!!! MUAHAHA

 

[LunarRay]

Originally posted by: Marshallj

Originally posted by: HJD1
Quote by Plato or whoever

Talking to yourself again? lol

I am that I am and an audience of plenty enough for me... You are that you are and not a lessor one to me.... If merry seek you find I'll chortle too and say adieu a funny man are you.

I guess it's alright to talk to yourself, as long as you don't argue with yourself. And if you do, you better win.[/quote]

This is the one virtue I allow myself... My kids say "bring a lunch" when I try to talk about something.... My grandkids say... "whatever"... so just me and Joey... my silkieterrier and he don't listen either... so its me and me and I do win alot...

 

[LunarRay]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Less hair and less height, but more brains.

I wish I had a dime for everything I thought I knew everything about... I'd be.... what's that called again...?

 

[LunarRay]

Originally posted by: Wag
I am now speaking to you from a medical cannister in an undisclosed location...

Is that like tossing the baby out with the bath???

 

[Moonbeam]

silkieterrier? Is that Irish. I have a Cairn Terrier, the root stock of Scottland's dogs. Does yours go into bezerker mode too?

 

[LunarRay]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
silkieterrier? Is that Irish. I have a Cairn Terrier, the root stock of Scottland's dogs. Does yours go into bezerker mode too?

Silkie Terrier is half Australian Terrier and half Yorkshire Terrier... my guy is about 15 lbs and looks like a Aussie but with silky hair... and he is very terrier... and always ready to go bezerk especially when another dog meanders by.. He is a buff silkie... (lots of muscle) and built like the Aussie... looks a bit like the Cairn even... cept for the color and texture... I've always had this kind of buddy.. and the odd yorkie but they were never 7-10 lbs... always got the pick and always got the biggest ... not to show but to protect me..

 

[Lithium381]

while it's obvious we are evolving, which doens't rule out the bible theory that long ago we started as something different, we've slowly changed....and i'm sure we still are, but we have somehow retarded(used in literal meaning)our evolution, as slow as it is already......by alowing everyone to reproduce, and saving the offspring at all costs, instead of eating the weird ones like animals, granted we are SLIGHTLY more civilized than animals.....

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: Lithium381
Evolution normally kills off the weak and the strong survive right? That's how most species evolve anyways....humans, we go out of our way to save the "weak" and continue to allow them to breed and reproduce......(like stupid people!) even if it is counter-survival, like obisity(i have nothing against it, just an exmple) or any other disease that is hereditary....yet we find ways around it, which is cool as a species to be able to do, but is that limiting our natural evolution?!~

Evolution is change.
According to Darwin the process involves
1. Genetic change caused by sexual reproduction and mutation.
2. Natural selection, basically the most fit genetic solution for a specific environment will reproduce thus having their genes present in the next generation.

Yes, humans are evolving. I have a genetic adatation to Malaria. My red blood cells are shaped slightly differenct which makes it difficult for the protozoan to attack them.