Current human evolution? (Introduction)

by David Turell @, Friday, March 27, 2015, 22:02 (3528 days ago)

A discussion by atheist Jerry Coyne:-http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/are-humans-now-in-control-of-the-forces-of-evolution/2015/03/27/b538a008-b07d-11e4-827f-93f454140e2b_story.html?wpisrc=nl_popns&wpmm=1-"After my public lectures on evolution, someone in the audience invariably asks this question: “Are we still evolving?” People want to know if humans are getting taller, smarter, better looking or more athletic. My answer is truthful but disappointing: We're almost certainly evolving, but we don't know in what direction or how fast. While some studies show that natural selection is acting on traits such as age of menopause (increasing), age at which first child is produced and blood cholesterol (both decreasing), this is hardly the stuff that excites futurists. And, regardless, there's a critical difference here: Selection isn't the same as evolution. Even if selection culls people with high cholesterol, unless those people are on average genetically different from those with lower cholesterol, we won't see the genetic change over time that constitutes evolution. Human generations are long, evolution is slow, and so all we can say is that there's the potential for evolution. -"We've seen some evolution in our species over the past few millennia, but it was detected by reconstructing history from DNA sequences. For example, we know that during the past 10,000 years, several pastoral populations of humans — those keeping sheep, cows or goats for milk — evolved genes for adult lactose tolerance, gaining the ability to digest dairy products. This trait was useless in our earlier ancestors who, after weaning, never encountered milk. And in the past 3,000 years, Tibetans acquired genetic adaptations that allowed them to thrive in their high-altitude, low-oxygen home. But these well-documented changes are limited to particular populations, so the evidence for recent evolution of our entire species remains scant."

Current human evolution?

by Balance_Maintained @, U.S.A., Saturday, March 28, 2015, 06:03 (3528 days ago) @ David Turell

What impact, if any, do you think modern medicine has had on evolution? And do you think it has been positive or negative?

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What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.

Current human evolution?

by David Turell @, Saturday, March 28, 2015, 14:23 (3527 days ago) @ Balance_Maintained

Tony: What impact, if any, do you think modern medicine has had on evolution? And do you think it has been positive or negative?-The first thing I think of is the preservation of type 1 diabetes, insulin dependent. This is inheritable and we are creating a population of diabetics. I know of nothing positive.-Other than that I can tell you evolutionary theory played no role in my practice of medicine with this exception: I could explain to my black patients how their African origin gave them a metabolism which did not fit the Western diet resulting in a high incidence of high blood pressure and kidney failure. (70% 0f all dialysis in the US is with black patients).-This from the Guardian; changing traits in humans are still going on:-http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/mar/25/study-shows-humans-are-evolving-faster-than-previously-thought-Same material as the Coyne article.

Current human evolution?

by Balance_Maintained @, U.S.A., Saturday, March 28, 2015, 23:33 (3527 days ago) @ David Turell

Tony: What impact, if any, do you think modern medicine has had on evolution? And do you think it has been positive or negative?
> 
> The first thing I think of is the preservation of type 1 diabetes, insulin dependent. This is inheritable and we are creating a population of diabetics. I know of nothing positive.
> 
> Other than that I can tell you evolutionary theory played no role in my practice of medicine with this exception: I could explain to my black patients how their African origin gave them a metabolism which did not fit the Western diet resulting in a high incidence of high blood pressure and kidney failure. (70% 0f all dialysis in the US is with black patients).
> -Just playing the devil's advocate here, but IF evolution were true, than aren't Doctors actually working against the human race by increasing the survival and transmission rates of undesirable evolutionary traits? You mentioned diabetes, but what about other genetic diseases? Surely if survival of the fittest is correct (which I don't really believe) then the best course for the human race would be to let diseases kill whomever it is going to kill. Those that survive to breed pass on a resistance to the next generation. -
For the record, I am NOT advocating this.

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What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.

Current human evolution?

by David Turell @, Sunday, March 29, 2015, 05:57 (3527 days ago) @ Balance_Maintained


> Tony;Just playing the devil's advocate here, but IF evolution were true, than aren't Doctors actually working against the human race by increasing the survival and transmission rates of undesirable evolutionary traits? You mentioned diabetes, but what about other genetic diseases? Surely if survival of the fittest is correct (which I don't really believe) then the best course for the human race would be to let diseases kill whomever it is going to kill. Those that survive to breed pass on a resistance to the next generation. 
> 
> 
> For the record, I am NOT advocating this.-I frankly don't know what to advocate. Making diabetes more prevalent is not a good solution or result, but I can't kill a patient, can I? As for other conditions that present a similar problem same answer. We have trapped ourselves in preserving the worst conditions. The answer is to correct the genetics artificially. Perhaps we can.

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