Are we evolving - (Apr/10/2006 )

Humans as a species have the ability to change the world and modify the environment to suit themselves to a large extent. We have systems that enable us to ensure the survival of incapacitiated (physically and mentally) individuals and so my question is....

Are we still evolving?

Just interested to hear people's views

Genetically the sequences of caucasion, negroid, asian subspecies are diverging so I would say yes

Again I would say that the selection parameters have shifted over the last 1000 years.

Away from physical/morphological selection and towards cognitive/cerebral selection in much the same way that our environment is changing, ie less physical work more mental strain

just because human can control our environment does not mean that we are keeping it static, in fact the opposite is true, each innovation brings a whole host of new features into our environment that we have to incorporate in our lives.

just what the effects of this fast paced environment will have on human development can only be imagined - but in a nutshell we are evolving.

Definately evolving. Our genetics are still diverging, new recombination events take place on a daily basis (during meiosis), leading to fresh combinations of genes that might have (albeit minor) fitness advantages/disadvantages. New mutations are generated constantly (as our cellular DNA polymerases aren't 100% accurate and because of radiation, chemicals etc,...). Evolution never stops really.

definitely yes....my pint sized nephew's playtoy is the computer cpu...and he knows when the main power has been switched off. Considering it took me 25 years to learn the computer...we r definitely evolving.

so sounds like a its is a resounding yes for evolution

I'm not sure if I personally am evolving though. I am certainly revolting though

my tonsils house bacteria that seem to be evolving... one day they'll take over the world