The Evolutionary Nature Of Humans

Over the millions of years organisms have been present on earth, there has been many forms of evidence to suggest animals are evolving through natural selection. However, the question still remains as to whether homo sapiens are still evolving through natural selection. Through the nature of science being subject to change and many new discoveries being made each day, it is difficult to make clear confined theories and conclusions, which will not be impacted on in the future.

Natural selection is the process in which heritable traits that make it more likely for organisms to survive and successfully reproduce become more common in a population over successive generations. Each of us individuals is specifically shaped and formed by our own genetic pattern. We inherit this pattern half from are mother and half from are father. The cause of this is the proximate cause that led it’s phenotype to ultimate causes. Much of we know today about evolution derives from the late great pioneer, Charles Darwin. Charles Darwin was an english naturalist that even from an early age was very interested in outdoor pursuits. Early in his prep career his father tried sending him to the University of Edinburg to pursue his medical

Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection, a scientific theory that supported the belief of evolution, was manipulated and applied to different areas of life, and thus it became the shaping force in European thought in the last half of the nineteenth century. Darwin, through observation of organisms, determined that a system of natural selection controlled the evolution of species. He found that the organisms that were most fit and assimilated to the environment would survive. They would also reproduce so that over time they would eventually dominate in numbers over the organisms with weaker characteristics. This new theory was radical and interesting to the scientific world but its effects reach far beyond this small institution of

One thing about natural selection that many people do not understand that natural selection does not increase the odds of survival for a species, but for individuals in that species. This makes sense when someone considers humans. Humans live in many social cultures, where for instance, the odds of survival in a group can be improved by the selection of certain traits that does not improve an individual’s odds of survival. Coyne states, one never sees the type of adaptations that benefit the group to the detriment of an individual (p.122).

Natural selection involves the adaptation of a species to better survive in their designated environment. When organisms reproduce, they pass down their DNA to their offspring. For example, a child that is tall is the result of their parent being tall as well. Parents pass down traits to their children. When it comes to survival, some organisms are better at it than others based on the traits that they have acquired. Some organisms can camouflage from predators while members of the same species do not obtain that same trait. With that in mind, the ones that can camouflage will most likely survive in certain environments and they will then pass on that trait when they reproduce. Since these traits are advantageous, they are passed on to more and more offspring through time and it will eventually overcome any original traits that species first started out with. It’s kind of like the current state of sexual misconduct in Hollywood. We have our directors, actors, agents, and so forth. However, as time goes on, some do not survive in the business based on their inherently evil traits and they get weeded out just like some species in the wild. As generations pass, these organisms have then adapted to fit the environment and better survive based on their inherited traits.

Before I describe my interpretation of “natural selection,” it is necessary to define “knowledge,” which, in terms of this essay, is an idea or technology developed to improve the lives, and has been shown to do so. I interpreted the scientific term “natural selection,” to better

Evolutionary thought and research has come a long way in the last few decades. While several factors have been identified as contributing to species evolution (Huxley 1942), natural selection is widely accepted as the main and strongest evolutionary force. However, Gould and Lewontin (1979: 581-598) argue there is a danger in trying to explain all evolution using an adaptationist programme where selection is the go to answer, even to the exclusion of other possibilities

Natural selection is most often used in the area of the natural sciences, but can apply to other fields. The knowledge question, how does knowledge develop over time? will be explored within the context of history and the natural sciences. Natural selection will be defined, in the context of this investigation as, knowledge progresses as evidence is discovered and verified. Thus the theories that have persisted in a particular subject are the most accurate ones, supported by plentiful evidence.

Individuals within an environment have different traits; some of these traits are genetic and are passed on to offspring.

From generation to generation, the struggle for resources favors individuals with some variations over others and change the frequency of the traits within the population. This process can be referred to as natural selection. The traits that have an advantage to individuals who produce more offspring are called adaption. For natural selection to be able to operate on a trait, this trait must obtain an advantage in the competition for resources. If one of the requirements does not happen, then that trait does not experience natural selection. Some traits could change by some other evolutionary mechanisms that could of been discovered ever since Darwin’s time period. Natural Selection is operated by comparative disadvantage. Around the twentieth century, Darwin’s mechanisms integrated genetics. This can allow us to analyze natural selection reproduction

Human evolution according to research started over 6 million years ago. The outcome of the evolution process is the current human beings. Scientific studies have revealed over the years a remarkable affinity between the chimpanzees/Apes and human beings. Even though this reality is not a definitive prove that human beings evolved from apes, it does show that the human beings are in one way or another related to other primates. Scientists suppose that the humans and the primates shared a common ancestor. The subject of what makes humans what they are and their origin has been the exclusive purpose leading to many scientific studies globally (Coolidge & Wynn, 2011). Studies believe that Africa was the origin of evolution millions of years ago. Fossil remains have been discovered in different parts of Africa as well as other regions of the world. Different hominins have been discovered around the world in the last 1 million years. Thus, the different discoveries have led to comparisons between the various species of hominins to clarify on their similarities as well as differences. This essay seeks to explain whether they were distinctively different species or regional versions of the same species.

The human race has been progressing through evolutionary phases for several millions of years in order for our ancestors to adapt to their flourishing world. Our world grows at an exponential rate in a rapidly changing environment, a concept that may be difficult to conceptualize. Humans are on the verge of entering yet another evolutionary transition: the transhuman era. With new emerging technologies and environmental changes, mankind will continue to evolve physically aided with the newfound ability to modify human genes to create the “ideal” life on Earth, as will be discussed in this anthropologically-centred research paper.

The human species has depended on a material culture for millions of years. Without it, humans would not be able to survive. Many people believe that because we have so many technological advancements and that humans can build or make anything necessary for their survival. Even with the current technology and other advancements, research has proven that humans are still evolving. Much of the evolution that is happening today has to do with the human genome and adapting to current issues in the world. There has been much research done on the human genome and how it is still mutating and changing. Natural selection has a big part in how the genome changes. Mutations are another point to look at when determining if the human species is still evolving. A third point to look at is gene flow and how that affects different populations. The purpose of this paper is to review multiple different articles to establish whether or not the human species is currently evolving. The articles used for this paper confirm that humans continue to evolve. While humans have the technology and skills to make their environments suit their needs, it can clearly be seen that humans continue to evolve and adapt.

The very first big difference was the shape of our brain that is different than those our predecessors. That this is so is illustrated by the Dikka baby who "from the waist down.. looked like us.. One of her humanlike knees was complete with a kneecap no bigger than a dried pea. But her upper body had many apelike features" (152). The Dikka baby showed the first signs of a hyoid bone that later developed into the tool for human speech. She was developing into the humans that we are today. The rest of her upper body, however, was like Lucy's, the famous Australopithecus hominid. Her brain was small, her nose flat like a chimpanzee's, and her face was long and projective" (ibid). Her finger bones too almost resembled those of a chimp's and her two shoulders represented those of a gorilla. It was her smaller brain that provides the clue.

While time travel still remains elusive to us, scientists have been able to discover things about our past as a species that were practically inconceivable over 150 years ago when Charles Darwin released his book entitled The Origin of Species. They have especially uncovered many pieces to our still incomplete puzzle over the past 20 years so that we now have a nearly complete idea of how our species Homo sapiens came to be. This story of our history includes dozens of species’ and hundreds of fossils and bones, yet fairly few complete or even partial skeletons. Hominids have gone through many changes to get from one of our earliest species’ Ardipithecus ramidus to Homo sapiens which scientists have been able to discover