Humans will not evolve further, says geneticist
By John von Radowitz, PA Science Correspondent
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
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Human evolution is grinding to a halt, according to a leading genetics
expert.
The gloomy message from Professor Steve Jones is: this is as good as
it gets.
Professor Jones, from the Department of Genetics, Evolution and
Environment at University College London, believes the mechanisms of
evolution are winding down in the human race.
At least in the developed world, humans are now as close to utopia as
they are ever likely to be, he argues.
Speaking at a UCL Lunch Hour Lecture in London, Professor Jones said
there were three components to evolution - natural selection, mutation
and random change.
He said: "In ancient times half our children would have died by the
age of twenty. Now, in the Western world, 98 per cent of them are
surviving to the age of 21. Our life expectancy is now so good that
eliminating all accidents and infectious diseases would only raise it
by a further two years. Natural selection no longer has death as a
handy tool."
Mutation rate was also slowing down, he said.
Although chemicals and radioactive pollution could cause genetic
changes, one of the most important mutation triggers was advanced age
in men.
"Perhaps surprisingly, the age of reproduction has gone down - the
mean age of male reproduction means that most conceive no children
after the age of 35," said Prof Jones. "Fewer older fathers means that
if anything, mutation is going down."
Random alterations to the human genetic blueprint were also less
likely in a world that had become an ethnic melting pot, according to
Prof Jones.
He said: "Humans are 10,000 times more common than we should be,
according to the rules of the animal kingdom, and we have agriculture
to thank for that. Without farming, the world population would
probably have reached half a million by now - about the size of the
population of Glasgow.
"Small populations which are isolated can change - evolve - at random
as genes are accidentally lost. 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. Almost everywhere, inbreeding is becoming less common. In
Britain, one marriage in fifty or so is between members of a different
ethnic group, and the country is one of the most sexually open in the
world. We are mixing into a global mass, and the future is brown."
He added: "So, if you are worried about what utopia is going to be
like, don't; at least in the developed world, and at least for the
time being, you are living in it now."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/humans-will-not-evolve-further-says-geneticist-953723.html
