Humans are Now Physically Evolving Faster and Faster than Ever Recorded.

A new study has found that we humans are actually physically evolving at an increasing rate. We're not talking about cultural evolution here. We're talking about physical mutations.

For decades the conensus view - among the public as well as the world's preeminent biologists - has been that human evolution is over. Since modern Homo sapiens emerged 50,000 years ago, "natural selection has almost become irrelevant" to us, the influential Harvard paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould proclaimed. "There have been no biological changes. Everything we've called culture and civilization we've built with the same body and brain." This view has become so entrenched that it is practically doctrine.

So to suggest that humans have undergone an evolutionary makeover from Stone Age times to the present is nothing short of blasphemous. Yet a team of researchers have done just that. They find an abundance of recent adaptive mutations etched in the human genome; even more shocking, these mutations seem to be piling up faster and even faster, like an avalanche. Over the past 10,000 years, their data show, human evolution has occurred a hundred times more quickly than in any other period in our species' history.

The new adaptations, some 2,000 in total, are not limited to the well-recognized differences among ethnic groups in superficial traits such as skin and eye color. The mutations relate to the brain, immunity to pathogens, sperm production, and bones - in short, virtually every aspect of our functioning.

Why might evolution be picking up speed? What could be fueling the trend? "Well, there's a lot more people on the planet in recent times. In a population you dont have to wait so long for the rare mutation that boosts brain function or does something else desirable." Says John Hawks of the University of Wisconsin at Madison and Gregory Cochan, a physicist and adjust professor of anthropology at the University of Utah.

Ten thousand years ago, there were fewer than 10 million people on Earth. That figure soared to 200 million by the time of the Roman Empire. Since around 1500 the global population has been rising exponentially, with the total now surpassing 6.7 billion. Since mutations are the fodder on which natural selection acts, it stands to reason that evolution might happen more quickly as our numbers surge. Cochran notes, "Darwin himself emphasized the importance of maintaining a large herd for selecting favorable traits."

Perhaps the most incendiary aspect of the fast-evolution research is the evidence that the brain may be evolving just as quickly as the rest of the body. Some genes that appear to have been recently selected influence the function and development of the brain. Other fast-changing genes - roughly 100 - are associated with neurotransmitters, including serotonin, glutamate (involved in general arousal), and dopamine. According to estimates, fully 40 percent of these neurotransmitter genes have been selected in the past 50,000 years, with the majority emerging in just the past 10,000 years.

- discover magazine


How amazing is that? This has yet to be 100% proven to be true even though I assume it is likely, but either way it is pretty incredible. This article is suggesting that physical human evolution is increasing at an exponential rate.

Are we heading toward the next step?

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[edit on Mon Mar 9 2009 by Jbird]

reply to post by Wisen Heimer


Considering that one fruit has the equivalent of 1/5 of the nutrients of a 1940's fruit (tiny example) I would have to agree with mutations etc.

I have worked within biolabs and it is alarming to say the least and I left because of some of the pre clinical studies I was asked to work on as I completely disagreed with the humanity of the pre clinical studies in question. Smallpox, Aids, Avian flu among many other viruses.

I am sure some are devolving while some are evolving.

Depends on your "status" to be honest.

I know that this is not your point but just my 2 cents to add to your findings.

Time is the judge after all with matters like this.



[edit on 8-3-2009 by XXXN3O]

So what will the knew standard and world views evolve toward as this must be a result of seratonin etc.....

Shaped by ideas and drugs....that seems to be leverage of certain brain chemys
Let me clarify....by "drugs' I am refering to coffee, tea, certain sugar substitutes, soft drinks, gum, candy, food additives.....etc

[edit on 8-3-2009 by whiteraven]

reply to post by whiteraven


Terrence Mckenna thought early mans evolution of the mind was triggered by Psilocybin since its the easiest to mistake for food,and then over time obviously other spiritual plants were used.I think he is spot on,but i dont know about biologically evolving,i could definetly see it expanding the mind and giving early humans creative ideas.Im surprised we are "biologically" evolving though at such a rate



[edit on 8-3-2009 by Solomons]

Telescopic Evolution

I beileve this could be happening

I've read somewhere a more shocking prediction of the differences, deliberately being pursued by our own rigid pyramid or corporate caste system, that human evolution would create two very distinctly different classes of humans. One would be evolved, tall, graceful and intelligent, the masses would become more de-evolved. This can only be changed if we right the system around to be truly equal and make all science and technology serve and belong to all people.

Another major concern is not merely with evolutionary advancements, but with mutations that will come about by all the DU dust globally bonded to our atmosphere. For the survivors. Because this stuff is deadly.

In anycase, this article is very interesting, and leads one to imagine the possibilities and improvements that could benefit the human race if we had the will to make necessary changes in its management, and fire the criminals at the top. Of course dna advancements could make evolutionary leaps standard for the race in a fair and equal system as well.

Great post OP

I sometimes wonder how the future human would look llike, say, 20,000 years from now.

-I think the brain will grow larger in size
-Humans will lose their hair on the head and body
-We use computers a lot, so our fingers may undergo some change
-Our digestive systems will become more efficient

Anyone has a good link to the future human?

This article explained that many of these mutations are beneficail to our species and that they are increasing. It is pretty awsome to think about.

I was for a long time under the impression that we havent evolved at all since we left the caves. The only things that did evolve were our culture, language, tools, etc. But it makes sense that we are and have been actually biologically evolving at the same time. What was even more interesting was the theory stating that as our population increases so does the speed of our evolution.

I assume we are evolving and not de-evolving. This article actually didnt say much about what kind of negative mutations there might be besides going briefly into ADD and ADHD. The entire article is a few pages long.

But whatever this rapid evolution means or where ever it is headed I dont think we are in control of. This is far beyond us. I dont think we can decide who will evolve and who wont or even if we evolve at all. This entire thing could not of been planed. Atleast not by us.

I think there will be a large variation in the future human species because of how varied our lives are and how we operate.Big brains doesnt mean smarter i might add homo erectus had larger brains than us..and they weren't too bright.

This was a truly interesting read.

I've often pondered about the future human, and often felt bad for the future race of humans. Why?

I think that this exponential increase in physical evolution can be seen as a bad thing. For natural selection to work to it's fullest, it shouldn't be tampered with too much. Our society has re-shaped the way natural selection works tenfold. as early as 2,500 years ago, humans, through the eyes of nature, werent meant to tamper with work/labor, efficiency, diet, and most important, health. There are so many medicines and vaccines around today. Sure, I want AIDS and cancer to be cured just as much as the next guy, but NATURE didn't intend it to be that way. When we make people better, were are tampering with natural selection. I't cant weed out the weak if there are no weak to weed out.

Anyway, I wonder if it's moving fast enough to have a noticable difference between my (distant) future grandchildren and uor founding fathers. 300 years isn't that long, at all, but maybe its moving that fast.

I hope nobody minds my little rant on here, haha. Like I said, it's a great article, I just think everyone looks at it and sees it as a great thing. However, I think we are setting the homosapien up for failure, it might look good now, but maybe not in 5,000 years...

We ARE part of nature so we are not doing anything inherently wrong,we have high intelligence so we are using it..thats what nature gave us.

reply to post by Wisen Heimer


This sounds like New Age propaganda, more lies put out by the Zionist controlled media.

The old X-man fable, promoted by TV and now "science so-called."

Pure crap.

It is based on Darwinian "survival of the fittest" hokem. Since the evolutionists are unable to come up with even one missing link, not just of humans but of any other creature, not one fossil showing a reptile growing feathers, or any such gradual change from a plant to an animal, a reptile to a mammal, a snake into a frog, whatever, however the evolutionists claim all life forms came from one amoeba and developed and changed --

There being not one single example of this that we can see in real life, of any creature changing into another creature, worms starting to grow eyes, buds of appendages or such -- there being NOT ONE EXAMPLE OF THIS IDIOTIC THEORY, now the evolutionists are claiming the evolution happened by what they call PUNCTUATED EQUILIBRIUM, the X-man stuff --

Now they say evolution does not happen slowly, gradually, over billions of years, but in great leaps (you know, a blue jay lays an egg and out pops a tree monkey, whatever).

This is to get people into the scientific mode to accept the idea that mankind is ready to make a "giant leap" in his so-called "evolution."

Then the New Age gurus step in and say, oh but wait, those Christians, those low-vibrational types, those conspiracy theorists, those tin foil hatters, those Alex Jones nutters are holding us all back. Their "vibrations" are so slow that they are keeping the rest of the planet from making their evolutionary jump to be the supermen the Nazis also spoke about.

These are the people wanting a new Fourth Reich, as the Nazis. They are the Zionists, the New Agers, the ones who think they are so, so special, that the rest of us slugs or goyim need to be eliminated.

And they are working furiously to accomplish that goal NOW.

Israel and the U.S. and England are completely taken over by these people. Obama is their man. Rahm Emanuel is Mossad, Jewish Mafia. They study from the Talmud, which says they are already supermen, that the rest of us are worthy of death, needing to die. The Talmud teaches them to hate us, and the Cabala teaches them how to contact Satan and become possessed by demons so they can have supernatural powers to outwit us, to invent technology to kill us with, etcetera.

This is what it's all about.

NEW WORLD ORDER PROPAGANDA.





[edit on 9-3-2009 by Salt of the Earth]

[edit on 9-3-2009 by Salt of the Earth]

Nature also gave us an appendix.

reply to post by Salt of the Earth


Good lord, this is from Discover Magazine and its also talked about a little bit here. www.newscientist.com...

Half of what you said wasnt even on topic.

And as I included in the OP, the article did not state this as fact. These are largely theories, but there is evidence to support them. I think its absolutely absurd to think that we have not evolved for 50,000 years and evolution will occurr regardless of the survival of the fittest scenario.

[edit on 9-3-2009 by Wisen Heimer]

Originally posted by Wisen Heimer
reply to post by Salt of the Earth

 

Good lord, this is from Discover Magazine and its also talked about a little bit here. www.newscientist.com...

Half of what you said wasnt even on topic.

And as I included in the OP, the article did not state this as fact. These are largely theories, but there is evidence to support them. I think its absolutely absurd to think that we have not evolved for 50,000 years and evolution will occurr regardless of the survival of the fittest scenario.

[edit on 9-3-2009 by Wisen Heimer]

Yes. These mags are Zionist owned and controlled. They have an AGENDA and it is New Age.

They are well able to print "science so-called" -- as the debunking stuff in Popular Mechanics. These are the same mags that promote fluoride for your teeth, genetically modified food, statin drugs and eating soy.

You admit it is "theory." The Zionists can put any kind of wild theory in one of their "science" mags and it makes it seem more credible.

But bottom line, it's New Age propaganda. That's what's behind it. I can see right through it.

Don't say it's off-topic. I'm saying it's all lies and New Age propaganda to promote a eugenics agenda favored by the owners of the magazine.

Weston A. Price travelled all over the world in the 1940s measuring and examining different cultures, measuring the health of their mouth, which he used as a measure of overall good health. Children born to healthy, well-nourished parents who were later fed a good diet had straight teeth with no cavities, their jaw bones were large enough for their teeth to fit together. Children born from mothers who were poorly nourished had small jaws, narrow faces, because the developing body was forced to put the nutrients where most needed and to take from where it could be spared.

Today's diet is producing people with small jaws and crowded teeth. This is not evolution, but diet.

We also see 1 in 100 children now autistic, compared to 1 in several thousand only 30 years ago. This shows devolution, not evolution, but it too has a natural cause, as does the ADD ADHD that is rampant now, and wasn't 30 years ago. This is also devolution.

I think it's a joke to say mankind is getting better and better, when it's obvious we're getting sicker and sicker and dumber and dumber -- all caused by natural things though, BTW.

This article in a "science mag" is New Age propaganda to get people tuned in more to the X-man, punctuated equilibrium "scientific" explanation of evolution. That's ALL it is. This is definitely on topic all the way because that IS what you're talking about, isn't it, evolution?

Punctuated equilibrium is a theory of evolution, and this article supports that theory. And would you like to tell me why saying this is "off-topic?" Just because I'm introducing ideas here you hadn't thought of, don't write me off as being "off topic."

[edit on 9-3-2009 by Salt of the Earth]

reply to post by Wisen Heimer

Ten thousand years ago, there were fewer than 10 million people on Earth. That figure soared to 200 million by the time of the Roman Empire. Since around 1500 the global population has been rising exponentially, with the total now surpassing 6.7 billion. Since mutations are the fodder on which natural selection acts, it stands to reason that evolution might happen more quickly as our numbers surge. Cochran notes, "Darwin himself emphasized the importance of maintaining a large herd for selecting favorable traits."

How sure are we that this is the case around 10.000 years ago?
What if the human population was reduced from wars or famine or anything else and their numbers greatly exceeded the supposed number of 10 million before some critical event/events?
Mankind seems to grow really fast if we accept the 10 million mark 10.000 years ago. But is this the case?

[edit on 9-3-2009 by spacebot]

Also "evolving" should be regarded as a relative term. It depends on what and why we perceive anything as evolution. For example, since we are not sure about the original genetic makeup of humans, or we can't even agree on how an original should look like, we can't be sure at what levels this "evolution" is expanding. For instance it could be that evolution would run around in circles after some X amount of thousand of years, maybe just because the planetary environment changes along too and human organisms along with flora and fauna just have to adapt in order for them to continue to function properly. We don't have the data and even worse nor the willingness to figure out anything.

[edit on 9-3-2009 by spacebot]

i remember seeing something about how peoples thumbs are getting longer because of the ever expanding use of keyboards and cellphones. It makes me wonder why some people don't believe in evolution yet. viruses are the most simple explanation of evolution there is, yet so many people turn a blind eye to it.
great op.

So where is my super strength?

This evolution stuff is lame... never get what you really need. Tell god to go screw his worthless "sperm" adjustment. Tell that fool we need telekenisis!

reply to post by Solomons



I find it curious how this matches quite well with Mckenna's ideas about the end of history.

Part One

Google Video Link

Part Two

Google Video Link

This new information about physical evolution coupled with the way the "straight" people are handling our situtation, makes me wonder..What if he is right?

I think it's a joke to say mankind is getting better and better, when it's obvious we're getting sicker and sicker and dumber and dumber -- all caused by natural things though, BTW.




There is a ying to every yang. Not everyone is getting worse and worse. There are many who are rejecting what culture prescribes, changing their dietary habits and their focus.

Truth be told I think it is more logical to think that we are evolving into two distinct species; as opposed to all of us are getting sicker and dumber.