AIDS and Africa
- Thread starter alaskaguy
- Start date
Survival of the fittest... So if there was a war and those who ran away lived and those who were the strongest and best breeding material died, would you consider the cowards the fittest? The human race is an odd entity. We make it possible to survive in many ways. Whether it be the coward, the liar, the snakey politician, the brute, etc. Is our perception of the fittest changing?
I believe current research says it came as a result of eating chimps in Africa around 1930.
AIDS virus invaded U.S. from Haiti: study | Reuters
It also seems that in today's world the poorest communities are the one's that produce the most offspring.
The human population thrives by sheer numbers. Its not survival of the fittest anymore. We just populate and dominate. We seem to be the only organism that is off balance in nature.
Kind of comes with the territory of being at the top of the food chain. Nothing to keep our numbers in check, aside from us killing ourselves in fun and creative ways like we do.
Godzilla is obviously going to be too busy fighting Mothra, get your evolutionary theory right.
I'm curious, why is that not survival of the fittest? Several species seem to have evolved to survive through very rapid population. (The rabbits in my backyard come to mind.)
Well, rabbits breed to continue the species (or so I think). Humans breed by accident in a lot of cases. They dont breed for the survival of the species, they breed because they got drunk one night and made a mistake. There is alot that sets us apart from the natural order of every other species.
I don't think the rabbits know that they are breeding to continue the species. They just do, so it could also be considered "by accident."
Perhaps our species’ particular reaction to alcohol is an evolutionary advantage?
:biglaugh:
There are a number of studies concluding that human evolution is rapidly accelerating.
Links:
Evolution Getting Faster Thanks to Germs, Viruses, Study Says
Human Evolution Speeds Up | LiveScience
Links:
Evolution Getting Faster Thanks to Germs, Viruses, Study Says
Human Evolution Speeds Up | LiveScience
Good point. =)
I see this in the way we kill as well. Animals of a species tend to kill each other in the event that someone needs to claim dominance or to secure food for themselves. Why is it we will kill each other over stupid stuff...a dirty look, flashing a gang sign, oil, etc. We are at the top of the food chain, but it seems we are the most volatile of the animal kingdom.
Yes, the scientific community does not agree with the somewhat popular notion that humans are no longer subject to evolution.
If I knew all the secrets to human behavior, I would be rich like Dr. Phil. Unfortunately I’m not :sad:
The short answer is that I have no idea why we do the things we do as a species. But in evolution terms, I think fitness is simply any advantage. It is pretty easy for us to look back and say what might have been an evolutionary advantage for our far-back ancestors (survive in the jungle type of stuff), but much more difficult to have a perspective on what is an evolutionary advantage today.
(This is my justification for not having any answers.)
