Are we the last Humans?
Evolution takes place by a process called natural selection. Over time, certain traits are demonstrated to be favorable or unfavorable in a species, depending on the conditions in which they live. Those with favorable traits will live longer and be able to reproduce at a higher rate because of this. Those with unfavorable traits might die earlier and therefore, reproduce at a lower rate.
Over time, those with favorable traits become dominant in a species, and those with unfavorable traits become extinct. This is the basic premise of evolution, as it applies to all living organisms to have ever inhabited the earth.
Evolution
Evolution, in its most basic sense, has only two goals: survival and reproduction. These two goals allow a species to live for longer and produce new generations, allowing for the survival of the species as a whole. All evolutionary changes are meant to serve these two goals.
Let’s look at an example. The Galapagos finch, originally studied by the father of evolution himself, Charles Darwin, perfectly exemplifies evolution. There are many species of finches in the Galapagos islands that all evolved from a common ancestor that migrated from the South American mainland. As they settled on different islands, separated by a geographic barrier, the finches evolved independently of each other to fit the needs of each of their own locations. This is called allopatric speciation, where one species evolves into many because of a geographic isolation barrier, and it is just one of the many forms of evolution that have taught us how natural selection works. It always comes back to natural selection, or as Darwin put it “Survival of the fittest.”
How are Humans Different?
This is how the infinite other species that have inherited this earth have come and gone, and evolved alongside the earth. So what makes humans different?
Over time, the evolution of humans and technology have become so intertwined that together, they seem to be an unstoppable force. There are arguments that the rise of technology could slow the force of evolution on humans. Think about it… Thousands of years ago, those with poor eyesight had a major life threatening disadvantage. If you couldn’t see, you would likely die. This could have become a major evolutionary factor, creating a new evolved human race with near perfect eyesight after natural selection completed its work. Yet here we are. According to the Vision Impact Institute, nearly 3 out of 4 Americans have some form of vision correction, including glasses and contacts. Natural selection did not have time to take hold before vision correcting technology came about and allowed people with poor vision to see, and therefore survive.
Artificial Selection
Technology has allowed humans to, in a way, bypass natural selection and slow down our own evolution. In fact, humans can even control evolution in other species through a process called artificial selection.
Let me give you an example of how it works. Natural selection works on two goals, like I said before, survival and reproduction. But for humans, productivity and money seem to be equally important. This is why artificial selection has taken such a strong hold in the agriculture industry especially. In order to create bigger, tastier, and more efficiently growing crops, farmers breed certain crops with favorable traits together to increase the chances of their offspring being equally favorable. In this way, over time, humans have directed the evolution of certain crops.
Discussion
Darwin’s term “survival of the fittest” applies less and less as time goes on. Let’s go back to our two principal goals as a species: survival and reproduction.
First, survival. Advances in medicine and the internet have allowed people to survive much longer. Medicine provides life-saving treatments to those who would have surely died off hundreds of years ago, allowing those with unfavorable genetic traits to live longer. The internet has provided a surplus of information, allowing people to make more informed decisions and have the option to live a healthier lifestyle.
Reproduction has also been impacted by technology. Those who have unfavorable genetic traits and cannot reproduce naturally, now have the option of in vitro fertilization, commonly known as IVF. They can also consult a doctor and take certain hormones which may increase their ability to reproduce.
Overall, humans have found ways to survive and reproduce despite unfavorable genetic traits. The two main goals of evolution have effectively been voided. We don’t need evolution to take care of us, we can do it ourselves. Or can we? So the question becomes, does the combined evolution of humans and technology slow down our own evolution, and if so, is this even a good thing?
References
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190207-technology-in-deep-time-how-it-evolves-alongside-us
https://medium.com/@manuj.aggarwal/technological-advances-and-its-effects-on-human-evolution-5329718639e7
https://creationbc.org/index.php/the-galapagos-finches-prime-example-of-evolution/