The evolution of 3006.

[Vinnyy]

There is a theory related to the theory of evolution that we humans might soon evolve and I think that will happen in the year 3006 , because of this chart. It shows the evolution of humans from millions of years ago and we might or we might not evolve again from the looks of this chart.

What do you think?

[Civilnotice]

Broken link.

[TheSouthernTower]

Who cares? We'll all be dead before then anyway.

[Vinnyy]

Yes , there appears to be a mistake.

[Lagatag]

I doubt it. Humans don't really have any need to evolve. We are not facing any evolution pressures.

[Sheizenhammer]

I think evolution has all but stopped already.

Evolution is driven by two things: competition and variation. There's loads of variation in human populations, but the selective pressures on the weaker individuals have (in western society at least) almost completely gone. Even the most hopeless failure of a person still has a reasonable chance of surviving and breeding (well, provided another equally hopeless individual can be found) in this society.

This only applies to modern (western) societies, but said way of life is becoming more common. Chances are, by 3006 the whole world will be so cushy no-one'll be even seen as 'better' or 'worse' in any way, since it makes no difference to how survivable this world is.

[Sensationalism]

We may not be facing any pressures now but that could change. Natural disaster style, baby.

[cast]

I believe we are always evolving.

[puredragon222]

At 3/6/09 04:09 PM, Sheizenhammer wrote: I think evolution has all but stopped already.

Evolution is driven by two things: competition and variation. There's loads of variation in human populations, but the selective pressures on the weaker individuals have (in western society at least) almost completely gone. Even the most hopeless failure of a person still has a reasonable chance of surviving and breeding (well, provided another equally hopeless individual can be found) in this society.

This only applies to modern (western) societies, but said way of life is becoming more common. Chances are, by 3006 the whole world will be so cushy no-one'll be even seen as 'better' or 'worse' in any way, since it makes no difference to how survivable this world is.

Yeah, it's actually been proved that since the Victorian times, our bodies have become weaker, since we no longer have to be strong to survive. Stupid weaklings, messing up our gene pool.

[SlashFirestorm]

At 3/6/09 03:52 PM, Vinny99 wrote: There is a theory related to the theory of evolution that we humans might soon evolve and I think that will happen in the year 3006 , because of this chart. It shows the evolution of humans from millions of years ago and we might or we might not evolve again from the looks of this chart.

What do you think?

You don't seem to understand how evolution works. The species is constantly evolving with every generation. It's neither goal oriented nor scheduled, either; there's not a secret invisible watch that says "grow wings at 5 o'clock" or anything.

[YourFutureMaster]

Can you please post a working link?

[Lizzardis]

At 3/6/09 03:54 PM, Civilnotice wrote: Broken link.

Yes your chart is "broken"

[Michaelas10]

How would we evolve if our medical system gets better and better at keeping everyone alive regardless of their medical conditions? How would we evolve if people who are born with more useful traits (smarts, quick reaction, extra arms, legs, etc.) are neither better survivalists nor appeal better to the opposite sex?

[Pokemonpoeguygcn]

At 3/6/09 03:58 PM, Vinny99 wrote: Yes , there appears to be a mistake.

So fix the link and give us a better one

[thedo12]

if we survive that long, slow human evolution wont mater becuase by then we will all be geneticly enhanced cyborgs anyhow.

[HomicidialFrog]

To people saying we have no need to evolve:

*Cough Cough* Nuclear War, Global Warming and other diseasters that Mankind will be destroyed by and will ha ve to evolve to keep Mankind going. *cough cough*

Example: If we ever all nuke every country in the world and the Nuclear War comes, those who survived will have to evolve to resist the Radiation levels, so we'd probally have to develop some kind of natural Anti-Radiation systems.

[SlashFirestorm]

At 3/6/09 04:45 PM, Michaelas10 wrote: How would we evolve if our medical system gets better and better at keeping everyone alive regardless of their medical conditions? How would we evolve if people who are born with more useful traits (smarts, quick reaction, extra arms, legs, etc.) are neither better survivalists nor appeal better to the opposite sex?

Evolution doesn't necessarily imply 'improvement', it's merely change in the genetics of a population. If the proportion of people with seemingly disadvantageous traits increases through artificial means (medicine, artificial insemination, etc), that change is nonetheless evolution. Now, if those traits become severe enough that medicine can't keep up, or medical technology crashes for some reason, then natural selection will once again change the genetics of the population.

There are still pressures on humans, though (HIV, malaria, TB). The increased availability of superior medicine for the wealthy also influences things. Even 'artificial selection' is still natural selection.

[Ericho]

Evolution takes millions of years, so I doubt there'd be that much evolution. Unless some genetic engineering sped it up!

[Zaibas]

At 3/6/09 04:12 PM, cast wrote: I believe we are always evolving.

This.
We aren't living in Spore. Species evolve over a period of time.
It's not like one day newborns everywhere are born with an extra limb....

That would be cool though.
Actually not really

[ThePretenders]

At 3/6/09 04:09 PM, Lagatag wrote: I doubt it. Humans don't really have any need to evolve. We are not facing any evolution pressures.

True, humans a thousand years from now will resemble modern day humans. I guess the future is brown, as we will all assimilate into one big group becuase there's more freedom of movement between continents.

[Kain-Ceverus]

We're all becoming fat, lazy, nearsighted, and gay. The world's been fucked since mid 1990's.

[Proottalfain]

At 3/6/09 05:46 PM, Kain-Ceverus wrote: We're all becoming fat, lazy, nearsighted, and gay. The world's been fucked since mid 1990's.

I'm slim, lazy, myopic and straight. 2 out of 4.

I'm not that bad.

[Achilles2]

Humans don't evolve based on a time span, but based on their environments. There's no need for evolution due to all of the technology available, so the closest thing I say is going to happen to humans evolution-wise is the disappearance of the appendix.

[Achilles2]

At 3/6/09 04:12 PM, puredragon222 wrote: Yeah, it's actually been proved that since the Victorian times, our bodies have become weaker, since we no longer have to be strong to survive. Stupid weaklings, messing up our gene pool.

Strength is an acquired characteristic, meaning that you have to work to get it. Acquired characteristics aren't passed down to offspring. People are weaker today because they choose to be, not because it's in their genes.

Also, since being stronger doesn't have a negative effect on your fitness, there would be no need for a change that would make you weaker, so that change wouldn't happen. That explains why humans still have tailbones: tailbones don't have a negative effect on your fitness, so there's no need to get rid of them.

[TheMaster]

At 3/6/09 03:52 PM, Vinny99 wrote: There is a theory related to the theory of evolution that we humans might soon evolve and I think that will happen in the year 3006

It doesn't work like in Pokemon, you know. You don't glow for a bit then turn into an Ivysaur, it gradually happens over thousands of years. You wouldn't notice it.

Besides, no selection pressures, no evolution. Slow people don't die, we don't get faster as a species. Short people don't die, we don't get taller as a species. We're not really changing any more.

[Kain-Ceverus]

At 3/6/09 05:48 PM, Proottalfain wrote:

At 3/6/09 05:46 PM, Kain-Ceverus wrote: We're all becoming fat, lazy, nearsighted, and gay. The world's been fucked since mid 1990's.

I'm slim, lazy, myopic and straight. 2 out of 4.

I'm not that bad.

Give it time, young one.

[dercheezle]

At 3/6/09 05:41 PM, ThePretenders wrote: True, humans a thousand years from now will resemble modern day humans. I guess the future is brown, as we will all assimilate into one big group becuase there's more freedom of movement between continents.

Actually, skin color genes usually do not mix very well, almost always one gene is dominant over the other. It turns out that the genes that make someone look Asian are some of the most dominant in the world, so if enough cross-ethnicity breeding occurs, we will all look pretty Asian.

I want One Mirrion Dolla! :p

[OneWordName]

Natural selection has been pretty much eliminated from humanity. Almost anyone who wants to reproduce can. There are very few people who die before being able to reproduce due to genetic flaws.

[Ericho]

Things like getting taller aren't really "evolution". Those are just the increasing of good health and medicene, which leads to a faster maturation. Of course, I suppose you could count that as evolution in the sense that in the future, we might be giants.