Human Evolution
Human Evolution
1. Human evolution has had an impact on human beings as it has made them less fit. Human evolution has changed human body shape and continues to depict genetic changes to physiological and behaviors (Ward 2008). Human evolution has made human being less fit. Steven Jones claims that human evolution has stopped. Steve argues that human evolution has stopped being useful to human beings and instead affected human beings. Human evolution is now a memetic. Evolution involves ideas instead of genetic. The idea that memes exit and evolve had been there for almost twenty five years, but it gained attention recently as a powerful force in evolution of human beings. Richard Dawkings coined the term and explained the principles of evolution identified by Darwin. Richard argues evolution happens when information is copied several times with variations and selection of certain variants instead of others (Blackmore 2010).
The surviving population acquires new properties that make them unique and enables them to survive. However, memes can affect human survival. Evolution has increased the rate of diseases. Culture influences the survival of human beings instead of genetic inheritance. Culture determines whether people in the society will survive or die. Some diseases or disorders have become common among human beings due to evolution. Disorders like Tourette’s syndrome and ADHD have become popular and the chances of transferring the disorders to human beings are high. Genetic evolution is still common today, but it happens in reverse. Genetic evolution today does not make human beings fit, but less fit. Various characteristics of modern life lead to evolutionary change that makes human beings less fit for survival.
For instance, poor sanitation and diet have resulted to a wide range of diseases that threaten human survival. Human evolution has made human beings less fit because they use technology to modify their body shape, physiology and behaviors. Human beings have used genetic engineering and technology to change their body shape, genetic composition and behaviors. Though genetic engineering enables human beings to select qualities fit for survival, it has a negative effect. Genetic engineering and technology can affect human survival if one messes with one of the genes (Ward 2008).
2. Human evolution has made human beings more fit (Ward 2008). Various evolution forces like natural selection and unnatural selection have influenced human brings in different ways and made them fit. Human evolution has enabled human beings to adapt to different environments. Human beings can adapt to natural and manmade environments due to evolution. Human beings have undergone evolution for the last 5000 years according to Henry C. Harpening, John Hawks and their friends. The researchers examined data from the international halo type map of a genome. The researchers noted that human beings had changed, and most of the change involved adaptation to the environment. For instance, a small number of people in Africa and china can digest milk when they reach adulthood. However, people in Sweden and Denmark can digest milk even when they reach adulthood (Barton 2007).
Further, human evolution has led to genetic variation and enabled human beings to survive and reproduce (Ward 2008). The genetic changes have made people around the world resistance to diseases. People in Africa have been able to resist diseases due to genetic variation. People in Africa are resistant to the virus that causes Lassa fever. In addition, they have partial resistance to other infections including malaria. This is based on a research conducted by Pardis C. Sabeti and his colleagues. The researcher used data on genetic variation to identify signs of natural selection in the human genome. Over 300 genome showed evidence of change that made people resistance to diseases. Harpending and Hawk claim that human beings have evolved 100 times faster for the last 10,000 years than before. The evolution is attributed to changes in living conditions and environmental variation (Loxton 2010).
3. Evolution might lead to production of another species as human beings have started to direct evolution. Human beings have directed evolution of plants and other species and are able to direct their own evolution. Human beings no longer wait for natural selection to direct evolution, but use technology to direct evolution (Ward 2008). Geneticists track down genetic components for disorders and problems to improve human survival. Human beings will be able to change human genes and produce new species of human beings. The genes can be changed in different ways. First, it can be done through gene therapy. In this case, one changes genes in an organ. Second, it can be done through the germ line therapy. Though gene therapy can produce new species, it cannot cure diseases. However, the complexity of the genome might affect genetic engineering. Genes perform many functions, which are encoded, by more than one gene. Therefore, tinkering with a single gene can have a negative effect or produce undesired results. Genetic engineering will affect the evolution of human beings in the future and reproduce new species (Strickberger 2005).
Parents have used genetic engineering to determine the sex of a child and to prevent children from acquiring various diseases that affect their survival. Genetic engineering will enable parents to change their unborn children and enable them acquire desirable characteristics. Parents can use genetic engineering to improve the intelligence of the unborn child, looks and longevity. This will produce children who are capable of living for long and having a high level of intelligence (Zimmer 2008). The children could have an IQ of 150. Also, the children will produce a lot of children. The children will be attracted to people of other kinds. The children genes will drift and differentiate into new species due to geographical and social segregation.
Technology growth has had an effect on human beings, and this might lead to a new species in the future (Campbell 2009). Human beings have learned how to manipulate machines, and this affects human evolution. Human beings might connect their bodies to robots or upload their mind into computers. Human beings depend on machines and have structured the machines to meet their individual needs. Therefore, the dependence of machines might result to new species as human beings will be compelled to accommodate them. Human beings will make changes in their bodies to accommodate the machines as they become complex. Hence, genetic engineering and technology will continue to influence human evolution (Dyso, 2012).
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