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The timespan of a generation in humans is about 20 years. So in 5000-10000 years that's 250-500 generations, a tiny amount. For evolution to happen, a genetic
by firmgently 8y ago
The timespan of a generation in humans is about 20 years. So in 5000-10000 years that's 250-500 generations, a tiny amount.
For evolution to happen, a genetic mutation has to endow an advantage that makes its carrier more likely to survive and reproduce. Given that the reproductive selection process (which characteristics are attractive to a mate) is largely driven by cultural norms now, it's hard to see what advantages are going to raise a person's chances of reproducing. Fashion tastes change several times in a single generation.
Women are often said to like taller men. Well we are getting taller as a species [1]. If men prefer a woman with a certain 'look', maybe women are evolving towards that look (it seems like a much harder thing to quantify). Manipulative, cheating males have more sexual partners - maybe we're evolving towards more of that kind of behaviour.
If you're expecting humans to grow extra arms or become super-strong or something, I don't think it's going to happen. Extra limbs is too 'abnormal' and culture doesn't like that. Being physically strong doesn't affect chances of survival in humans any more. Same applies to better vision, hearing... any super-senses. They don't affect our survival. I've heard people posit that maybe we'll lose our little fingers as they don't do anything. Same again though - even if it's true that we don't use them, it doesn't mean that someone born without little fingers is going to have a higher chance of reproducing.
Our development happens at a rate much faster than biological evolution now because of culture (meme vs gene). A lot of what constitutes a modern human is external (as a thought experiment just imagine what a human would be like if he'd never spoken to another human, read anything, or absorbed any culture in any other way). From this point of view, cultural evolution could be seen as evolution v2.0 as it happens and spreads much more quickly that genetic evolution.
[1] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-we-getting-taller/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-we-gettin...
- AstralStorm 8y agoThe interesting question is if human changes are liable to speciate or not. It is possible that just a few changes would result in biological incompatibilities. Combine it with differentiating sexual selection and things might become interesting.
- ak39 8y agoInteresting indeed. If humanity in its current state somehow manages not to destroy itself (and much of everything else) the probability of speciation of our survivors is close to a certainty. Not so much as a consequence of natural selection or sexual selection but of human selection. If we survive another 100 thousand years, we will inevitably see another emergent species genetically superior but incompatible with current homo sapiens. I think that will be an incredible day for humans to acknowledge (the death/extinction of homo sapiens). We had better sort our differences out before that day arrives.
- tim333 8y agoI think it's unlikely these days because we all intermingle too much. If anything it'll go the other way with races fading out as our descendents become mixed.
- Nursie 8y ago> For evolution to happen, a genetic mutation has to endow an advantage that makes its carrier more likely to survive and reproduce. Or sometimes a mutation can survive just by being benign enough not to make much difference to reproductive chances.
- zaphirplane 8y agoYes I am assuming a large and notable mutation. Humans fought for thousands of years with implements so where is the human with Star Trek armor skeleton. I guess in the books the diversity caused evolution is strong and notable Ps choosing your mate is a recent thing for humanity