Tell us something we don’t know.

[2LaneCruzer]

They are. In pre-history having living parents greatly increased a female’s chances of raising her own offspring to an age where they could survive to then reproduce on their own. It is a modern misconception that people in the past had consistently shorter lives than people do now. In the absence of accidents or terminal illness a human lives about 70 years on average. Traits generally don’t persists in a species unless they confer a survival advantage for the species.

Psalms 90:10 - The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

Right. Nuclear families I believe are fairly recent; larger families allowed for children to receive care and guidance from the grandparents. As someone once said, women live longer than men because grandmothers are more important to human survival than grandfathers.

 

[Raul-02]

Obesity and processed food are closely related

Lab animals and pets face obesity epidemic - Nature

Animals in human care are fatter than they were 20 years ago.

www.nature.com

 

[Raul-02]

Lots of diverse ideas about evolution.
Think Differentiation. Evolution is so much more than adaptation.
Think of adaptation as a gene that was recessive but some external influence causes it ti become expressed. So a creature that before didn't have that characteristic now does; but it was there in the genetic material all along. That's adaptation.

If you want an oversimplified one line definition maybe this will do: Evolution is something new in the DNA molecule. it's called species differentiation.
OK that was two lines.
But it's all just theory. So there really are no firm definitions.
In ‘95 Ed Lewis took the Nobel for his work on Drosophila melanogaster. He exposed a link between Homeotic (Hox) Gene Regulation and animal morphology. (homoeotic genes regulate body shape) Lewis is almost solely responsible for this theory. But in spite of this approach being so well accepted there is damn little evidence supporting it.

That one dynamic informs me that evolution is, at best, dimly understood by the white coated brainiacs.

If you want to read just a wee skosh more you can look at this

An exciting period of Drosophila developmental biology: Of imaginal discs, clones, compartments, parasegments and homeotic genes

E. B. Lewis and the Bithorax Complex: Part I

Evolution and diversity of animals

My take away? It's such a complex area of study that it's pointless for those without an extensive specialized biology education to be much concerned about. I studied Molecular Biology in the 90s even did my own recombinant DNA work on canine cells - to no success - and I don't have a handle on the topic of evolution beyond stick waving and vague statements. .

 

[kenmbz]

I remember watching this documentary. This person has been looking for human evolution her whole life.
This is the only case she could prove.

Human high-altitude adaptation: forward genetics meets the HIF pathway

A biweekly scientific journal publishing high-quality research in molecular biology and genetics, cancer biology, biochemistry, and related fields

genesdev.cshlp.org

One thing I dislike about the Internet is the constant change out of definitions.
Evolve and Adapt, or "Evolve to Adapt" are two very different things. But many non-scinetific articles use adapt and evolve as having the same meaning.

 

[Cougsfan]

One thing I dislike about the Internet is the constant change out of definitions..

Don't limit it to the internet. In everyday discussion, what a word means to you may have a substantially different definition to me. A thought or concept that is clear and undisputable to me may be unclear and totally unsubstantiated to you. We are much better at hearing than listening. True listening requires us to have the patience to try to understand what is being said from the speaker's perspective. That is becoming a lost art.

 

[oosik]

Amen - Cougsfan. Short on true listening - quick to judgement.

 

[turnkey4099]

A few things about HUMAN evolution I've always wondered about. Perhaps I can ask here. We are all a bunch of know it alls ;-)

Is "obesity" going to be considered evolutionary? It is an adaption to our environment! It also seems to be "nearly" a global issue across many cultures.

Are we getting "physically and mentally softer". No "sleeping out under the stars", no wagon trains over mountain passes in winter, no year long sea voyages in hunt of the whale. Sure people died doing such, but the harsher outdoors activities were still done by many.

Lastly an observation. "heredity and "Natural selection" has become an impossible path for humans. We already live for quite some time, and the things that kill us off in the end are "weaknesses" that come to play long after our child production days. So, those traits that make for longevity have no way to prosper in the generations to follow.

(accidents are the life takers of the young, Lucky is not genetic ;-))

Good point on obesity. My parents generation were all farmers some going back to the days of horses, hard working both men and women. All were slim and in good health.

Then came my generation. All the females are overweight, some grossly. Men,me included, carry more than they should. I have been fighting for the past 35 years to come down from 250. Just passed 190 going down the other day. Nieces and nephews Evolution? I don't think so as I don't think it is changine any genes.

 

[oosik]

We are experiencing above normal rainfall this spring. The cattle ranchers are overjoyed. We have more wild grass than I've seen in many years. The regional firefighting services are becoming worried. All this grass will die and become fodder for wildfires this fall.

There just isn't a happy mid-point.

 

[9973720wb19]

But I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie. Not a single time. Never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people.

 

[Fuddy1952]

About the only TV wife & I watch is TCM, Turner movies mostly silent film era (1920s) up to early 1950s. If you watch those, look at the people. Overweight people weren't that prevalent.
I think we're blessed living now all the medical advances but cursed with diet & lack of exercise. New vehicles..."creature comforts". You see so many actually young in store scooters.