Re: Is the human race with modern medecine not evolving downward?

Are humans still evolving? This question has been raised in many fora,
and it seems that science may have found the definitive answer which is yes
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/07/science/07evolve.html?ex=1143435600&en=49e979b47e91e5fd&ei=5070

<quote>Providing the strongest evidence yet that humans are still
evolving, researchers have detected some 700 regions of the human genome
<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/geneticsandheredity/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier>
where genes appear to have been reshaped by natural selection, a
principal force of evolution, within the last 5,000 to 15,000 years.</quote>

See
http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0040072
for the original research

Nice...

Dawsonzhu@aol.com wrote:

> Dave Wallace wrote:
>
>> Could someone on the list please explain to me why at least for humans,
>> descent is not true in both senses. Both modern medicine and things
>> like controlled environments seem to be allowing individuals to survive
>> to have children that in the past would not have occurred. I realize
>> that controlled environments are a mixed blessing, but at least having
>> heat when the temperature is -30 out, does help lung conditions. . For
>> example I have serious asthma and have had so since at least 5 years of
>> age. In my senior year of high school we were at emerg at least two
>> nights of most weeks getting adrenaline shots and that was when my
>> atomizer, pills and allergy shots failed to control things. Between
>> ages of 16 and 23 I was determined not to have children and still at
>> times wonder if I did right when I see allergies in my children and
>> grandchildren.
>
>
>
> It would seem the nature of the natural selection has changed. Indeed,
> even for the rest of the flora and fauna on the plant in fact, due to
> human activity.
>
> But as to the issue of allergies, that is very complex. It may have been
> a large combination of events that all conspired at a wrong moment
> where the network of Th1, B cells etc went off. It can be what
> you were exposed to, or when you were exposed to it. For most of the
> history of mankind, the issue has been a fight against disease. So that
> is where the greatest amount of evolution would have been happening,
> but as we change the selection process, it seems quite resonable that
> given a long period of time, some impact may be observed.
>
> I don't take lightly that closing remark I usually include. But I do think
> we can reflect that it by Grace that we were able to live and proceed.
> ----
> Wayne
Received on Sat Mar 25 22:32:45 2006