The answer to whether humans will change in a dramatic way in the future
depends on what the question really is. How do you define dramatic, and
how do you define future?
In a thousand years, maybe not. But then in the last 500 the average
height of people of European descent has increase about a foot. This is
mostly due to nutritional factors, but there is a genetic componant, I'm
sure. I think that's pretty dramatic, but you may not.
In a million years? Definately. How, and how much we will change will
depend on how our environment changes. Our environment changes all the
time. Who thought fifty years ago that typing on a keyboard would be a
required skill in order to make a living today?
Environmentally, those prone to skin cancer will be gone- so we'll
probably be darker as a species average. Those built for cold climes will
either be spending more on air conditioning or selected against. Myopia
is no longer being selected against, so bad eyes will probably spread.
All these will have unforseeable effects on the shape of our species. Who
knows where we'll end up?
Robert Hole, Jr.
Department of Biological Sciences
Mississippi State University
