ANSWERS: 4
  • Evolution is change, and change is certain. As long as people live and reproduce, there will be changes to the gene pool. What is not known is the direction of the change. While some speculate that humans will evolve to some higher state, I have seen no evidence to support that speculation. I personally believe it is more likely that genetic defects will accumulate and the quality of the human genome will diminish, especially since technology and medicine work against natural selection in modern society. (Note: I do not oppose medicine or technology, I just observe that many individuals that would not survive or have offspring in a primitive environment live and breed in modern society.)
  • To add to IntellectualCritic's reply, unless society reaches a point where genetic mutations make the difference between life and death, as was the case in the past, I doubt we'll evolve any further. Why? People with genetically inferior traits (that is, not optimally suited for survival) are surviving right along with the genetically superior people, passing their traits along to their offspring. There is no filtration process, greatly due to medical advances that save children who would otherwise not live, and thus evolution is not happening.
  • As long as humans reproduce naturally they will continue to evolve. With the rise of our higher thinking minds allowing for self awareness and scientific breakthroughs in genetics both the way we evolve and how much we evolve may change. For example, as our understanding of genetics improve, we could begin to screen pregnancies for possible defects and/or select only the most healthy sperm and egg for fertilization. By doing this we have, to some degree, taken evolution out of the hands of chance. One other aspect is that one day we may be able to actually alter DNA and repair faulty portions or change certain parts of the DNA responsible for things like life expectancy, immune functions, bone strength, etc. So again we have taken evolution into our own hands. Some people might say that this is a bad idea or that it goes against God. Others could argue that it can only benefit our species and even speed up the process of evolution allowing for rapid improvements in the overall well-being of humans. The only way we will ever completely do away with evolution is if we no longer reproduced naturally, whatsoever. This would mean that every human birth was completely controlled by science, and is a long way off, if even possible.
  • Yes, humans will always be evolving. In the future, the earth might change in some way that makes humans have to gain a part of the body, or lose a part of the body, etc. We are evolving right now. Our jaws are getting smaller. Here's how: ever get wisdom teeth pulled? Well, you're pretty old then, because now, humans are being born without wisdom teeth. Over time, our mouths will fill in that empty space, and cause the jaw to be smaller. Just one of the many ways we are evolving right now. We will always be evolving.

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