Evolution

[yaroa]

If you do not believe in evolution, please ignore this post.
What do you think that humans will look like in say, one hundred thousand years. Did we peaked? What features will change?

[chipbgt]

bigger chests for lung capacity for one. But take into account the fact that genetic engineering is a certainty eventually, so we will be many times healthier and larger and smarter....

[medo]

Hello

If we don’t kill each other by that time or our civilization takes reverse steps because of a disaster (produced by humans) chances are that our heads will grow bigger but our torso, hands and legs shorter.

Medo

[rtyp3]

From looking at what changes we have gone through in the past, I am guessing...
Less hair, taller, smarter, longer limbs, and I am predicting over time that people will begin to look more and more alike as different races mix more rapidly. Most likely with dark complexions, brown eyes, black hair. We'll see... or maybe not, I'll be dead...

[hd581]

It is mankinds nature for the most physically and mentally superior to help the "weaker" people survive. This offsets the natural selection of evolution. We've stopped evolving naturally.

[dos7]

since modern history, humans have played an active, although to most,unwitting role in their evolution. For the past couple million years, geography and environment were the prime factors in our evolution, yet now many other factors come into play simply because we have altered our environments to the point that we have a proactive role in our evolution.

You know how all those "do gooder" eco-activists that are always trying to get the beached whale back in the water.....did anyone ever stop to consider that the whale was trying to EVOLVE? hahaha,,thought that was funny,,i ripped that off from some stand up comic by the way,,can't remember the persons name.....

dos7

[catcow]

I think we will all have square eyes for better monitor compatibility and a naturally arched left or right hand so that it fit's better when using a mouse.

[yaroa]

You're killing me Cat, .
Given all you hear about changes in the ozone layer, and this being a slow progresive change. Don't you think that there might be some changes in the structure of our skin as well as our lungs?

[Variable]

Hey anyone considered what sets us apart the most from prehistoric men???

The BRAIN.

While humans stopped evolving physically 10000 to 20000 ago our knowledge expanded exponentially. => I don't think the human body will evolve much anymore.
(You could pick up a child from 10000 years ago put it in school today and it would score about avarage)

[hd581]

Given all you hear about changes in the ozone layer, and this being a slow progresive change. Don't you think that there might be some changes in the structure of our skin as well as our lungs?

Nope. Think about it. Evolution takes 10000 years or so for changes to take place. Mankind isn't going to wait that long for their descendants to have ozone-proof skin. They'll make a special lotion or something first.

[U-96]

I will be a little more contraversial and say that on the whole the human race will get shorter.
I believe that in the late 20th century we have reached our physical potential, with advances in healthcare and nutrition.
I only left school 12 years ago, but most school kids of 14+ are taller than I am, and I was pretty average at the time. I am in turn 2-3 inches taller than my parents.

It has been demonstrated in the wild that isolated animals when faced with limited resources *shrink* in order to adapt to the food available. The Javan rhino for example.

With the burgeoning human over-population, compounded by poor distribution, increasing desertification and pollution of fishing grounds, we're screwed.
Pollutants in the air, water and foodstuffs will damage immune systems (e.g. the massive increase in the Western world of childhood asthma) and stunt growth.

Sure we'll be able to fix a few things with genetic engineering, but I doubt many will be for the greater good, rather for pure commercial gain.
There will be the rich and affluent who will benefit from rural living, pure food and pure genes. But for the rest of mankind, we are doomed to eat processed GM food and watch WWF events on pay-per-view.

Shorter, and flat butts to sit on. That's where we are heading.

"Gattaca" is about as close to the truth as you could want.

U-96

[Meat Puppet]

I think the next steps in evoultion Will vary depending on the specific environments that sapiens will dwell.

People born in space for example would difinetly have the most drastic and rapid changes.

Then some evolutionary steps may not be a physical change at all possibly mechanical or engineered in nature.

Itd be an interesting to think that possibly we wouldnt even recognize our own descendants if they came back from the distant future to study us.


[This message has been edited by Meat Puppet (edited 06-02-2000).]

[codybear]

thats why it is only a theory and never proven and Darwin himself admitted he made a mistake in releasing his work before it was even close to being ready

[KillerBug]

I think we will pollute the atmosphere so much at our complexions will be grey due to lack of light. Our pupils would be the entire eye, and the eye would be huge, making our sight unbelievably clear, hands would become bigger, torso would shrink, head would become much bigger with larger brains. Then someone would accidently hit a buttin somewhere and the would would end, oh, and did I mention, no hair.

[blubomber]

How about Mars?
It seems pretty clear that within the next 50 years or so we could have colonies on Mars. Given the fact that the colonists will be living in an artificial environment with less gravity and less sunlight, do you think the human body will evolve more rapidly to adjust to that environment? Would a human baby develope normaly in the mothers womb? Would the differences between those born and living on Mars to those born and living on Earth be enough to have two classifications of Humans? Earthlings and Marsians?