Re: Further Evolution beyond the Human?
Jack Story (goodmich@lcs.isu.edu)
Mon, 07 Oct 1996 08:16:02 -0600
Brian Davison wrote:
>
> I have an interesting theory on evolution to consider. It seems most
> likely that the natural process of evolution is finished, and mankind is
> the final product of that evolution. So the question remains, what
> comes next?
As with the others who responded to your post, human evolution-like all the others is
not stopped. All the forces of evolution are still in effect. I refer you to the
text.. Growth and Development by Robert M. Malina (1975) In a particular chart he
demonstrates that the age of menarche has droped from ~17 --> 13 or less. This is
an example of change (some people call that evolution) in h. Sapians. This brings
another question forward: What are our genetic potentials? This may be an example
of that question just as oriental parents of short stature in the united states have
children that on the average are much taller -this is attributed to better
nutritional access at younger ages. The example still shows that there is considerable
change in the species.
>
> Is mankind destined to live until the end of the Earth, the final and
> most advanced product of our planet? It seems unlikely, humans after
> all have only occupied the planet for a fraction of its history. We
> also seem to have this urge of self-destruction, the results of which
> are now being played out before us. Instead of becoming extinct through
> an outside event like the Dinosaurs (if they were indeed killed off by a
> meteorite) the human race would probably destroy itself.
Maybe we have a genetic predisposition that triggers us to reduce when certain population
pressures have been reached. In studies with mice (ref. can't remember someone help me
out) I recall reading that increased population pressure corrisponded with several changes
in behavior - specificaly behaviors that would in the long run reduce population.
I have even heard people suggest that the world wars were expressions of this but I am
a little sceptical.
computers, well ... I kinda doubt it..
My personnal opinion, I think we may see a speciation event that will set the populations
of the industrialized nations appart from the rest of the world. I beleive that the rest of
the worlds populations will probably continue and the industrialized nations will probably become
more suseptable to environmental conditions to the point that we will engineer our ecosystems and
continue to promote our problems of genetic disease until we reach a point that we cannot survive
outside an engineered system. While the third world is constantly exposed to every blight and
environmental extreem they cannot afford the luxury of supporting un-productive members in society
eliminating, or selecting for those traits which adapt to existing conditons, are successful in
surviving until reproductive age and capable of providing for the next generation.
Anyway... thats my totaly unfounded and speculative opinion... maybe I should write a book.
|