Thursday, October 16, 2008

Have Humans Stopped Evolving?

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/lifestyle-shift-sparks-evolution-revolution/1331576.aspx

Genetics professor Steve Jones has basically stated the idea that humans have stopped evolving. Steve Jones states the theory that lifestyles have an affect on humans evolving. “Powerful men who once fathered dozens or even hundreds of children, often into their 60s and 70s, had given way in most developed parts of the world to younger fathers who tended to sire just a few children in their 20s and 30s.” Basically, the argument is being made that because the older men are the ones with the highest rate in genetic mutation, and they now seem to father men who have children young, it cuts the number of genetic mutation. Jones argues that this could be a good change because the child survival rate has increased and would surely increase more if this continued, however, he also argues that this could be a problem if there is a problem where humans are going to need to evolve to survive.

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