Future Human Evolution... Discussion

There's a lot of talk on these boards about Human evolution, lets just say for the sake of this topic that Darwin was right and we all evolved from monkeys.

The question I pose is this:

As the years pass (and humanity hasn't wiped themselves out) how do you think humans will evolve?

I came accross this on a website:



Its quite funny and could well be right due to the way we currently live. I would like to see what the great members of ATS have to say on the subject (art work encouraged). Humourous and serious suggestions welcome...

I don't think we will make any evolutionary jumps, my reason being: The Neo-Cortex or new brain allows humans to evolve over one lifetime as opposed to animals taking millions of years.

Although that part of the brain may not evolve, I do believe that the other parts of the human body can. For example the neo-cortex is a new part of the brain (relatively speaking), it may or may not be able to evolve further but there's no reason that other parts of the brain, or indeed body, cannot evolve further.

I believe that humans will not continue to evolve. Animals evolve to adapt to their environment. Trees too tall, longer necks, etc. Humans make their environment change. If it is too warm we have air conditioning or too cold we have heat. Until we stop changing our environment to fit the way we are now, we cannot adapt to our ever changing environment.

Originally posted by secret titan
I believe that humans will not continue to evolve. Animals evolve to adapt to their environment. Trees too tall, longer necks, etc. Humans make their environment change. If it is too warm we have air conditioning or too cold we have heat. Until we stop changing our environment to fit the way we are now, we cannot adapt to our ever changing environment.

Interesting comment, its a good point and shouldn't be ignored. Looking at this from another point of view, if we keep making our lives easier through the use of technology, will we become weaker, lazier, will the constant desire to make our lives easier make us more intelligent due to the pursuit of new technology in order to realise our goals?

I think evolution can be looked at in many different ways and because we constantly change our environment to suit our needs, is this not another form of evolution?

I've just found an interesting interactive evolution flash program that details the past evolution of humans and some possible future evolutionary paths that humans may take.

MSNBC - Human Evolution, Before and After

Take a look, interesting stuff.

Just in my short lifetime (50+ years) I have noticed one evolutionary change in particular. The earths population is becoming on average, much larger in stature. Those with European origin in particular, however Japanese, Chinese & Northern parts of the South American population also seem to be taller than their parents or grandparents. I have visited many ruins throughout different parts of the globe & there is much physical evidence, doorways, skeletal remains, etc. that show human beings living 2-5000 yrs ago were closer to 4 feet than todays 5 or 6 feet. One variable is of course nutrient based. Could there be other factors?

[edit on 19-5-2007 by mizzu]

Originally posted by mizzu
Just in my short lifetime (50+ years) I have noticed one evolutionary change in particular. The earths population is becoming on average, much larger in stature. Those with European origin in particular, however Japanese, Chinese & Northern parts of the South American population also seem to be taller than their parents or grandparents. I have visited many ruins throughout different parts of the globe & there is much physical evidence, doorways, skeletal remains, etc. that show human beings living 2-5000 yrs ago were closer to 4 feet than todays 5 or 6 feet. One variable is of course nutrient based. Could there be other factors?

[edit on 19-5-2007 by mizzu]

Mizzu, I've noticed this too. Maybe in the future we will reach 10 foot tall maybe bigger. On the other hand, the human race could have already plateau'd, or we could all start getting shorter again!

Originally posted by GrimUK
Mizzu, I've noticed this too. Maybe in the future we will reach 10 foot tall maybe bigger. On the other hand, the human race could have already plateau'd, or we could all start getting shorter again!

It's because of much better nutrition. However you won't reach 10 feet because of gravity in my opinion. I think the average height will stay at 1.7/1.8m for men.

I saw that msnbc link before, but I don't think much of it. It assumes we'll be hit by a meteor or experience nuclear war. These things may not happen. Aslo you definitaly won't need to wait 3 million years to see a homo roboticus. The mechanization of the human body has already started (see electronic eyes, ear aids, pacemakers, robotical arms, etc)

[edit on 20-5-2007 by DarkSide]

Originally posted by DarkSide

Originally posted by GrimUK
Mizzu, I've noticed this too. Maybe in the future we will reach 10 foot tall maybe bigger. On the other hand, the human race could have already plateau'd, or we could all start getting shorter again!

It's because of much better nutrition. However you won't reach 10 feet because of gravity in my opinion. I think the average height will stay at 1.7/1.8m for men.

I saw that msnbc link before, but I don't think much of it. It assumes we'll be hit by a meteor or experience nuclear war. These things may not happen. Aslo you definitaly won't need to wait 3 million years to see a homo roboticus. The mechanization of the human body has already started (see electronic eyes, ear aids, pacemakers, robotical arms, etc)

[edit on 20-5-2007 by DarkSide]

I agree, in order for us to reach 10 foot we'd have to evolve our bone structures and muscles in order to support them effectively under the gravity of Eart.

Yeah I thought that about the MSNBC website too. Timescales are way off but interesting none the less.

Originally posted by GrimUK
I agree, in order for us to reach 10 foot we'd have to evolve our bone structures and muscles in order to support them effectively under the gravity of Eart.

All of the large land animals are quadrupedal. We cannot give up on our arms so we would need another set of legs and a totally restructured skeleton. But since being 10 feet tall has no advantage over our current height it won't happen.

Originally posted by DarkSide

Originally posted by GrimUK
I agree, in order for us to reach 10 foot we'd have to evolve our bone structures and muscles in order to support them effectively under the gravity of Eart.

All of the large land animals are quadrupedal. We cannot give up on our arms so we would need another set of legs and a totally restructured skeleton. But since being 10 feet tall has no advantage over our current height it won't happen.

Good point

How do you think humans could evolve? As Secret Titan mentioned ealier in this thread, with humanity constantly changing its own environment to suit their needs, it unlikely that their will be any physical evolution. I believe human evolution will be primarily mental, I think humans will get smarter through the pursuit of new technologies (and hopefully more peaceful with one another).

[edit on 20/5/07 by GrimUK]

[edit on 20/5/07 by GrimUK]

I've thought a bit about this. Currently, there's a place for everyone on this planet; Ie. there's no "survival of the fittest", meaning that all evolutions that take place are kept. And even people with "strange" deformities find someone to be with, and therefore bring their genes further.

This means that evolution could go in many directions, but on short terms this of course has no effect. IMHO, our race will be split up, but only after we have been a space farring race for ~500.000 million years. This also means, that we will end up as a VERy diverse species in the long term.

The next big evolutionary jump will be when we see second generation off worlders. ie moon, mars. They will have a hard time coming back to earth!

Going to different planets and evolving is a good one

Theres so many possiblities its mind boggling!

Don't forget that people will in the future most likely be able to choose traits and have their body or dna modified.
No doubt in the future if you want blue skin or a set of wings out of your back it will be no problem.
I read in another thread that in the future some people will look like the Brats Dolls as they think it looks cool. This is not really evolution but the human body will be changed as it is already with cosmetic surgery. It will be like an extension of that if nothing else.

Of course evolution doesn't have to be the product of DNA modifying due to natural selection. Animals, and people up until this point have had to rely on that slow and random method, but nowdays humans don't need to.

We've taken control of our own evolution, and it isn't all biological.
In the past hundred years we have changed massively. Mobile phones have made us Telepathic. Motor Cars have given us incredible mobility. Computers extend our brain power. etc etc.

Now with Genetic Engineering becoming a reality, we'll starting mixing the biological, mechanical, and electronic more and more. Certainly cleaning up the built in biological faults... we're designed for the rough Hunters life, not being desk jockeys.... and nature doesn't care what happens to us once we've had our children so life after 40 is riddled with all sorts of unnecessary infirmities.

Intelligent Design. But our own design.

We will be changing our own design far faster than Nature will.

Originally posted by emjoi
Of course evolution doesn't have to be the product of DNA modifying due to natural selection. Animals, and people up until this point have had to rely on that slow and random method, but nowdays humans don't need to.

We've taken control of our own evolution, and it isn't all biological.
In the past hundred years we have changed massively. Mobile phones have made us Telepathic. Motor Cars have given us incredible mobility. Computers extend our brain power. etc etc.

Now with Genetic Engineering becoming a reality, we'll starting mixing the biological, mechanical, and electronic more and more. Certainly cleaning up the built in biological faults... we're designed for the rough Hunters life, not being desk jockeys.... and nature doesn't care what happens to us once we've had our children so life after 40 is riddled with all sorts of unnecessary infirmities.

Intelligent Design. But our own design.

We will be changing our own design far faster than Nature will.

Fantastic post, I think you've hit the nail on the head. Humanity is soooo impatient that with the dawn of genetic engineering there is likely to be a completely new breed of humans in the near future. Each human could have the opportunity to completely alter their genetic makeup to make them anything they want to be.

I believe that human evolution has reached its peak, and we are the boundary between stages right now.

I believe that consciousness is what evolves, not just cellular life. Cellular life being merely one stage in the creation process. The others being the atomic world, then molecular, then genetic, then planetary, and so on..

All interesting stuff. Anyone here believe that humans will continue to evolve, like how we have evolved through various stages from ape. What do you guys think the next stage will be?