Humans are still evolving - and it's happening faster than ever

[Arawn-ap-Hywel]

Humans are still evolving - and it's happening faster than ever | Science | The Guardian

Humans are evolving more quickly than at any time in history, researchers say. In the past 5,000 years, humans have evolved up to 100 times more quickly than any time since the split with the ancestors of modern chimpanzees 6m years ago, a team from the University of Wisconsin found. The study also suggests that human races in different parts of the world are becoming more genetically distinct, although this is likely to reverse in future as populations become more mixed. "The widespread assumption that human evolution has slowed down because it's easier to live and we've conquered nature is absolutely not true. We didn't conquer nature, we changed it in ways that created new selection pressures on us," said anthropologist Dr John Hawks, who led the study.

adaption is much stronger than creation or design

[Praxius]

Exactly in what way do they describe us evolving?

Ah here it is:

The researchers analysed data from the international haplotype map of the human genome, and analysed genetic markers in 270 people from four groups: Han Chinese, Japanese, Africa's Yoruba and northern Europeans. They found that at least 7% of human genes have undergone recent evolution. The changes include lighter skin and blue eyes in northern Europe and partial resistance to diseases such as malaria among some African populations, according to the study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Some of the changes were tracked back to just 5,000 years ago, and "today they are in 30 or 40% of people because they [are] such an advantage," said Hawks. Many Chinese and African adults cannot digest lactose in milk, but across Europe a lactose-tolerance gene is now widespread. One reason is thought to be that at northern latitudes sunlight is weaker, so people make less vitamin D in their skin. Vitamin D is crucial for absorbing calcium, so being able to digest milk throughout life made people in colder climes healthier.

However, I'm not sure how accurate 270 people can represent the overall 6 billion + of us worldwide.... but it's not too bad of a study for loose examples.

[Jason]

That last paragraph makes me question the accuracy of this article. Genetic changes have to do with genes, not vitamins.

[Nemiroff]

Genes control everything in our body, if we need to digest a certain vitamin or something we need to develop the gene with the info on how to do that

[Nono]

Right, the individuals in northern climes who survived through to reproduction were those whose genes gave them a lactose tolerance. That's natural selection.

Many Chinese and African adults cannot digest lactose in milk, but across Europe a lactose-tolerance gene is now widespread.

Which is why the world's greatest cheeses are European.

[Milton Bradley]

Now the need to find the gene that lets us tolerate bullshit.

[kubedawg]

Quote by: Milton Bradley Now the need to find the gene that lets us tolerate bullshit.

Haha tru that.

I don't see how this article has anything to do with creation... I mean, it's possible we were created, then evolved.