There's no "Human Evolution," only PRE-human evolution!

[Ophiolite]

Well, that's not really true. Everything effects evolution. The increase in available nutrition removes one selective pressure from populations in advanced western nations, but allows others to come into play. Such as the many maladies associated with obesity.

Which is why I inserted the word 'practically'. DRZion was implying a Lamarkian model for evolution. I was discounting that.

 

[Enmos]

Correction, western industrial society has means to correct it, a luxury not afforded to much of the human race.

I stand corrected. But almost all humans receive some kind of aid in surviving.

 

[ripleofdeath]

Ahhh, so you've got nothing? :shrug: Fair enough, just say so.

shush the grown ups are talking !:itold:

 

[Gustav]

Which is why I inserted the word 'practically'. DRZion was implying a Lamarkian model for evolution. I was discounting that.

would you further discount if he were implying an "epigenetic" model for inheritance?

 

[GeoffP]

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During the almost two hundred thousand years we have been Homo Sapiens, anthropologists have been unable to demonstrate any significant further biological evolution.

So, why confuse the issue and claim "human evolution" when the evolution only evolved apes to us and we are not and have not evolved biologically?

Define "biologically". Human populations have experienced significant changes in gene frequency, and exhibit a range of morphological types. You suppose that this is not evolution? I seem to recall you suggested I pick up a textbook. I urge you to do so first. And smaller bodies and brains? No.

 

[Ophiolite]

I stand corrected. But almost all humans receive some kind of aid in surviving.

And this differs from beavers and penguins how exactly?

 

[Gustav]

tick tock

/tap

 

[iceaura]

Human populations have experienced significant changes in gene frequency, and exhibit a range of morphological types. You suppose that this is not evolution?

Not necessarily. The cull remains to be seen.

For all we know, when it comes, the unevolved San will be the only hominids left on the planet.

 

[GeoffP]

No cull is required. Gene frequencies can change without mortal selection. You could call relative population growth and stagnation a 'relative' cull, possibly, but it's not the same thing in the end. Moreover, evolution is an ongoing process. We can't define it by a point in time.

I'm not familiar with the San, but surely they, too, have evolved to some degree, lest their gene frequencies and morphology are identical to the transitory point of Homo sapiens sapiens.

 

[spidergoat]

I stand corrected. But almost all humans receive some kind of aid in surviving.

I agree, but we have been social primates during the entire time we evolved into what we are today. So we evolve in spite of the fact that humans tend to take care of the disabled.

 

[thinking]

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During the almost two hundred thousand years we have been Homo Sapiens, anthropologists have been unable to demonstrate any significant further biological evolution.

so the evolution of the brain and its abilities , which is biological evolution , doesn't count ?

So, why confuse the issue and claim "human evolution" when the evolution only evolved apes to us and we are not and have not evolved biologically?

so you see no difference between apes and Humans physically is this what your getting at ?

 

[spidergoat]

200,000 years isn't a whole lot of time evolutionarily speaking.

 

[terrybrookman]

200,000? how about three million. The evolution is over, it ended 2000 years ago. Now is the time for either contemplation or revolution.

 

[spidergoat]

Evolution is never over as long as life exists.

 

[Ophiolite]

200,000? how about three million. The evolution is over, it ended 2000 years ago.

Care to substantiate that with evidence?

 

[thinking]

Evolution is never over as long as life exists.

agreed

as long as we don't try to control life

ours , Human life , included

 

[Fifteendaysofbliss]

Of course human beings are still evolving- culturally and biologically, since cultural evolution or "progress" can not occur with out some biological contributions. Culturally, mates are still selected according to criteria (as they have always been). Fetuses die and are now even being genetically altered and scanned.

Also, everyone who is arguing that humans evolved from apes should re-read Hercules' entry. Yes, Humans are CLASSIFIED as apes, this does not mean that we EVOLVED from them. Homo Sapiens and apes, as well as the prosimians all evolved from a common ancestor- an ape-LIKE ancestor, genetically a different species to what we understand an ape to be today.

 

[DRZion]

Which is why I inserted the word 'practically'. DRZion was implying a Lamarkian model for evolution. I was discounting that.

The Lamarckian model may be gaining more support. Just google 'epigenetics'.

Its a fact that genes are altered over a lifetime and that these genes are passed onto offspring. Sometimes its less subtle than the altering of the nucleotide sequence- it may be a change in the way genes are expressed due to extrachromosomal elements. It may be a difference in concentration of RNAs.

To expand on this I present to you the idea of gene expression.
Genes are expressed depending on environmental stimuli/metabolic needs. These stimuli can be as simple as higher concentrations of sugar in the blood and as complex as the interplay of concentrations of several hormones. But we do have some control over blood sugar and hormones, so we do have some influence on our genes.

Fact is that genetic expression drives very many of our daily tasks; we are not driven entirely be sentience. I read that another individual's speech can actually alter brain genetics as tested using an RNA assay. Its crazy stuff :shrug:



They say that diversity is the currency of adaptation. By not imposing any constraints on the evolution of humans we are actually becoming more diverse, meaning that if a cataclysm comes we are more likely to survive as a specie.