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Humanity faces species split
 HUMANITY could evolve into two sub-species within 100,000 years as social divisions produce a genetic underclass. The mating preferences of the rich, highly educated and well-nourished could ultimately drive their separation into a genetically distinct group that no longer interbreeds with less fortunate human beings. Oliver Curry, a research associate in the Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science of the London School of Economics, has speculated that privileged humans might over tens of thousands of years evolve into a "gracile" subspecies - tall, thin, symmetrical, intelligent and creative. The rest would be shorter and stockier, with asymmetric features and lower intelligence, he said. Dr Curry's vision echoes that of author HG Wells in The Time Machine. Wells envisaged a race of frail, privileged beings, the Eloi, living in a ruined city and co-existing uneasily with ape-like Morlocks, descended from the downtrodden workers of today, who toil underground. So, eating Elois is "co-existing uneasily" with them? Morlocks would then be some kind of post-apocalyptical muslims? Dr Curry said the concept of race would be gone by the year 3000, after relationships between people with different skin colours had produced a "coffee colour" across all populations. With improvements in nutrition and medicine, people would routinely grow to 198cm and live to the age of 120, he said. Genetic modification, cosmetic surgery and sexual selection meant that people would tend to be better looking than today. Otherwise, humans will look much as they do now, with one exception: Dr Curry also suggested that increased reliance on processed food would make chewing less important, possibly resulting in less developed jaws and shorter chins.
Neotony, my old nemesis! is known from domestic animals: dogs resemble young versions of wild relatives such as wolves. BFD... anyway this is assuming current trends will go on long enough for those evolutions to occur... throw in a Grand Collapse/return to the Dark Ages, and it's a very alternate scenario... also, Mike "Beavis & Butthead" Judge has a different take on how current trends will lead Humanity. Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-10-19 |
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