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Life Sciences
Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution
Has natural selection stopped for humans?
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Has natural selection stopped for humans?
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amalia
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Has natural selection stopped for humans?
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08/11/2019 10:09:09 »
Zaid got in touch with an interesting idea:
In the modern societies that we live in, an individual human does not need to be fittest in order to have offspring . Everyone can get a job and make money to buy food and everyone gets a chance to reproduce. Does that mean that evolution by natural selection has stopped for humans? And if so is there any other way that humanity will evolve?
What do you think?
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alancalverd
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Re: Has natural selection stopped for humans?
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08/11/2019 10:28:04 »
In a civilised society we choose our mates on a wide spectrum of parameters, so in one sense the species should be getting "better", at least at fitting in with civilised society. But another hallmark of civilisation is conferring a right to live and reproduce on anyone and everyone, so in another sense we are becoming more tolerant of unfitness.
This really suggests that arranged marriages may be a Good Thing for the species, where selection of a mate does not depend on an accident of circumstance or a brief flight of fancy, but the rational decision of third parties.
Alternatively we may drift into two distinct species, much as predicted in many dystopian novels.
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Re: Has natural selection stopped for humans?
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08/11/2019 10:53:18 »
Animals evolve to suit their environment.
If that environment includes wonder drugs and free hospital care, then we will be ideally suited to our environment...
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