Cushy Lifestyles Curbing Evolution?

Are modern comforts drastically changing our evolutionary trajectory? Some researchers think so, arguing that the developed world’s standard of living may be holding back the evolution of mankind.  British genetics expert Steve Jones recently extending his theory that our standard of living and healthcare greatly reduces the influence of mutation, random change and natural selection, the three major forces of evolution. Modern-day medicine brings opportunities to those who would never survive in the times of our ancestors: “In a modern world of central heating and plenty of food, the same mutation is far less likely to give a child any advantage. A baby born today can expect to live a long and healthy life, which in turn works against the evolutionary tool of natural selection.”

Jones, head of the University College London Genetics, Evolution and Environment department, says that the evolutionary research to date allows scientists to predict Humanity’s future appearance, and it’s not all that different than the selves we see in the mirror today. Jones argues that the increasingly ‘flattened’ world, as it becomes more multi-ethnic and diverse, discourages random mutation and gene loss. (Inbreeding is far more common amongst small island populations, and creates opportunity for random genetic changes.) Even at the risk of seeming xenophobic, Jones claims, “Worldwide, all populations are becoming connected and the opportunity for random change is dwindling. History is made in bed, but nowadays the beds are getting closer together. We are mixing into a global mass.”

[via Times of India]