Mental Retardation is Reverse Evolution

Can we reverse evolution so we can turn ourselves back to being apes?
link

A much-derided theory that five people who walk on all fours are products of “backward evolution” is plausible, and testable, said a U.S. biologist who weighed in on the controversy last week.
The debate erupted last month after a Turkish scientist proposed that the five siblings in Turkey, who also speak what he called a primitive language, had undergone backward evolution. The claim met with skepticism, even jeers, from some fellow scientists... “My opinion is that the chance that this human disorder is related to the evolution of our early ancestors and their mode of walking is remote,” he wrote in an email.
Reverse evolution would occur when genes recently acquired through evolution are lost again, or when genes become reactivated after falling into disuse.

so having said that can mental retardation be a consequence of reverse evolution, taking away from them the genes needed to be a human of the modern world (up to date).

here is another article about bacteria behavior mimicking reverse evolution, which means its something that happens naturally.
New Scientist

"When these two bacteria get together in the same niche, they are perfectly capable of exchanging DNA at a very high rate," says Falush. "Differences that happened over a long time period can be reversed over a very short time period. If Falush is right, then different niches may play a crucial role in speciation in bacteria, just as they do in higher organisms. Evolutionary biologists have suspected this on theoretical grounds, but Falush's study is the first concrete evidence to support this idea."

since there is alot of things we dont know about why some children are born mentally challenged, this could shed some light on this medical dilemma.

reply to post by DuneKnight

Therein lies the crux of Hitler's campaign to eradicate 'the lower evolved'
races.
Eugenics for the disposal of low-brow, unevolved mongrels!
Perfecting a race of superhumans.
Deformations, bed-wetters, autistic children,
If evolution is taken as fact, what would stop 'science' from taking a fast track to higher intelligence and super-human strength???




[edit on 10-5-2008 by Clearskies]

That is total nonsense... in no way is either mental or physical retardation devolution... it is caused by flaws in the DNA and nothing more.

Indeed nothing more needs to be said on this topic.

Well these scientists and researchers are obviously missing something... They need to spend more time with the actual individuals than with the DNA. Some of the smartest people in the world are Mentally Handicap as shown below:

Kim Peek


Stephen Hawking

Sounds like these are a bunch of NAZI scientists

I thought it happened when two hillbillies who were related got together.

Sorry couldn't help it. (I was born in Kentucky, on an Army Base, so I routinely make fun of "my peeps".)

I can't believe you guys aren't taking this seriously, is it plausible or not, who knows. I know that autism is something we know nothing about and maybe it can be better explained in terms of evolution. keep an open mind.

The word retardation means the process of the inability to learn. I think it might be extremely insensitive to speak so casually about other peoples disabilities. There are all sorts of brain dysfunction and problems and should be explored thoughly before jumping to therories like this, born with or other wise. Devolution ???

Yeah.. I remember seeing the story on TV about that family that gets around on all fours.

Like everyone else so far, I think it's bollocks. For 'de-evolution' to be even a possible theory, it'd have to effect much more people for it to be even plausible.

Are birth defects just evolution trying out new things? I don't really think so. I don't think it's something that can work in 'reverse' either.

yep, sorry mattgut dude, but nope, not buying that. Ask yourself this one question, why on earth would mother nature, in all her wisdom, start going backwards?

reply to post by skribal


About the birth defect/evolution bit? It was just a rhetorical question

I don't think retardation is reverse evolution.

But the theory of reverse evolution seems plausible to me.

You have to seperate the two. Retardation to me when you see someone in that state it is sad, there are things missing, and mental connections misfiring.

Reverse evolution? Why not? We don't use our appendix anymore, that is less. Why not call that reverse evolution?

The answer is obvious, but my point is that even if you had reverse evolution it would still be evolution.

The problem is some people view evolution as a process of gaining more and more greatness as time goes on. Why not view it as a process of balance?

I'm really surprised most everyone just wrote off the entire concept of the OP. Even though it seems quite apparent that retardation is something else, why couldn't you have "reverse evolution." Evolution is not just a matter of survival, but reproduction.

I look at evolution as a theory in whole anyway, it's not like its scientific law or gospel anyway, lol.

I know youre intentions are good, its just that word can also be connected to hate speech. In english a lot of words have at least a double or triple meaning and can be taken out of context. When I saw the title of your post looking for something to read feeling pissed off is the nicest way of putting it. On this site mostly legitimate posts and theories but I cant really take this seriosly. The possibility of considering some people or families to de-evolve towards primitive animals without language or reason manipulated by instints is borderline obscene. If a leg or arm got some new illness or something wrong born or later on would we be having this conversation even if it was passed to their kids. Realized later that the brain and comprehension whats make us human just sensitive issue for me . I know you were talking about DNA changing or evolving, just try to imagine how 300 a day have access to this and everyone else who reads this site how they will react whoever they are their families , freinds, jobs and personal beliefs. Its just that word implies not normal, healthy and equal to everyone else and has a stigma attached. Could of used mental deficits, irregularities, dysfunction or problems and those words wouldnt be considered weapons or derogatory. That would of cushioned the blow that scientists are actually spending time reasearching this.

[edit on 10-5-2008 by P. O. W.]

[edit on 10-5-2008 by P. O. W.]

yeah i guess this concept is way too radical and cant be believable at all, certainly not as believable as aliens, area 51, ufo abductions, conspiracy/revolution/secret societies, reptilians, I am Sam thread, time travel guy, what else.

sure it seems controversial on the surface but im looking at this from a scientific POV and it can be taken seriously as any other ridicules topic out there. however im in no way vouching for this theory but I was hoping that people here might enlighten me on the subject, since I know nothing of DNA and all that. but simply ignoring is well... ignorant. I too know people who are autistic, maybe thats what I shouldve called it, and i guess that was my mistake but i really dont know the difference between retardation and autism. its not clear to me. all I know is that dismissing such an argument without justifications just on the off chance that it is derogatory is itself a shame really. Im interested in evolution and I wanted to approach the concept of autism from that angle also the idea of reverse evolution seems intriguing to me and not well known. who knows we might some day devolve.

[edit on 11-5-2008 by DuneKnight]

maybe we have no idea what mental handicaps are for. maybe the soul in the body of that individual chose that form so he/she could learn what it's like to be an outcast, or maybe to teach others about compassion. Who knows?

I have a slight speech impediment, and I must say that you better be careful about who you are calling retarded, because if you don't think people with difficulties have feelings, then you just don't think. It's not a question of pity. It's a question of empathy. Feel that person, and make them feel just as important as you, because they are.

We can learn so much from mentally handicapped people that it's a downright shame we call them anything different at all just because we don't have the same priorities. When they leave this world, they'll definitely know what it is to be humble. Some of the strongest personalities out there are trapped in bodies that we have deemed "unfit", and we just completely underestimate their value. It's personal to me, because I just have a small speech impediment, and look at all the # I've gotten... but I'm stronger for it.

Let's learn to treat these people with the same respect as we treat "norms", because ya know what? Humans look #ing weird and stupid to me, anyway. All you perfect sex symbols, enjoy the prison while you can [believe that you] control it.

It's interesting to inhabit a body that you don't fully identify with. It kind of opens all sorts of philisophical questions, like "How can I be my body when I don't identify it as me?" My speech impediment isn't me, so why do some people treat me that way?

The answer is easy. The body is not what makes the person, yet we're all brainwashed by EVERYTHING in the media to keep us from realizing that, and to oppress those that have personal experience being disassociative from their body who could teach us a lot about ourselves, should we chose to listen...

but we don't because we think our bodes are sacred, and therefore something ugly or misshapen must be less sacred, or deserving of punishment, or a de-evolved amalgamous cancer or something.

What is intelligence? What is beauty? We have no right to even call them retarded or abnormal, because these concepts are abstract, in the way that we really don't know ourselves what is "normal".

We're retarded for believing 99.9% of the # that comes out of our mouths. Mentally challenged people have a legitimate role, just like everyone else. If you don't want them to be around because it makes you uncomfortable, then you gotta ask yourself "Why"?

Maybe the way you feel towards mentally/physically challenged people reflects your own inner self conflict? Maybe they are here to get you to see that. Maybe they know people take advantage of them and do mean things to them, and they simply take it and seem "helpless" because they know their role, and it's not their job to be "one of us". It's their job to teach us about cosciousness, peace, love, and compassion... things that they seem to understand much more than the seemingly smart beautiful people who blow them off as a joke or something to be swept away.



[edit on 11-5-2008 by indierockalien]

I am being objective which is what science is all about, im not gonna let my compassion be part of anything when asking scientific questions. plus what i asked isnt taboo. and for the record I dont think we can learn anything from autistic people because that just doesn't make any sense. they are like the rest of us but with natural disabilities which is fine. Im being suggestive of radical claims , yes but its not like i jumped into conclusions. from what i understand of devolution is that if it ever happened then wont it be through autism? thats not only medical condition that is unexplained and shows deficiency in our DNA. but why is it happening now more than ever? is it a defect in the genes? we can all learn something.

shouldn't we try turning an ape into a human first? according to evolutionists, it happens quite naturally.~

[edit on 5/11/2008 by JPhish]

Actually mental disability is one of the very few things which still allows evolution to occur.

Families with a higher incidence of Trisomy 21 (Downs syndrome) will eventually cease to exist. Thus in time Trisomy 21 may be "evolved" out of the human gene pool. While it is a genetic malfunction, there are studies which indicate heredity in lineage.

Rationally speaking, severely mentally handicapped people do not reproduce. Thus their genes are taken out of the gene pool.

Eugenics is not necessary. Nature is taking its course.

If you are looking for the possibility of dysgenics (reverse evolution) you have to look at the welfare state and other modern systems of living which confer evolutionary advantage to the less desirable elements of society.

Originally posted by 44soulslayer
Rationally speaking, severely mentally handicapped people do not reproduce. Thus their genes are taken out of the gene pool.
Eugenics is not necessary. Nature is taking its course.
If you are looking for the possibility of dysgenics (reverse evolution) you have to look at the welfare state and other modern systems of living which confer evolutionary advantage to the less desirable elements of society.

then why is it increasing? it is you know that right. Im not sure how autism is passed on, heck im not sure if its even a genetic thing. might be from complications during conception. but i think autism is a general term, that encompasses mostly alot of people lots of whom are smart and seem normal so i wonder how they diagnose such a thing since we dont know what is normal to begin with. we are all different. there is severe autism which is obvious and then there is stuff like asperger which im familiar with. so maybe after distincts are made we can tackle this problem.

concerning devolution: the articles i presented prove that it happens but whether its related to 'mental retardation' is speculative at best. if indeed nature has control over us then if something apocalyptic happens that endangers us might change us back to being apes, mentally and physically. the biology of it is a little bit difficult.

reply to post by DuneKnight


Sorry, Im going to need to see evidence that mental retardation is increasing above the rate of population increase.

As far as I know, it isnt. Even if it did hypothetically go up, I would put this down to environmental toxins in our food and water supply rather than the gene pool being altered.

from wiki article

The number of diagnosed cases of autism grew dramatically in the U.S. in the 1990s and early 2000s. For example, in 1996, 21,669 children and students aged 6–11 years diagnosed with autism were served under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in the U.S. and outlying areas; by 2001 this number had risen to 64,094, and by 2005 to 110,529.[29] These numbers measure what is sometimes called "administrative prevalence", that is, the number of known cases per unit of population, as opposed to the true number of cases. A population-based study of one Minnesota county found that the cumulative incidence of autism grew eightfold from the 1980–83 period to the 1995–97 period. The increase occurred after the introduction of broader, more-precise diagnostic criteria, increased service availability, and increased awareness of autism[18]

there you go.

link

Autism is a heterogeneous syndrome defined by impairments in three core domains: social interaction, language and range of interests. Recent work has led to the identification of several autism susceptibility genes and an increased appreciation of the contribution of de novo and inherited copy number variation. Promising strategies are also being applied to identify common genetic risk variants. Systems biology approaches, including array-based expression profiling, are poised to provide additional insights into this group of disorders, in which heterogeneity, both genetic and phenotypic, is emerging as a dominant theme.

and here they talk about external agents that might cause it like toxic elements which is environmental concern and since environment has always played a role in our evolution it too can play a role in our devolution.
www.ewg.org...

[edit on 11-5-2008 by DuneKnight]

[edit on 11-5-2008 by DuneKnight]