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In what ways will Homo Domesticatus continue to evolve?

Started by pagan1, May 17, 2008, 12:59:41 AM

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pagan1

Towards the end of "The Ancestor's Tale",Richard Dawkins briefly speculates on future directions for Human evolution.
He points out just how domesticated we have become,and gives the high level of lactose tolerance amongst the majority of the Human population as a major indicator of just how much we differ from other Mammals that still exist in the wild,since the norm for most animals is that they are unable to digest milk once they have been weened.
This I think shines a light on so many otherwise inexplicable Human behaviour patterns.

Could this neotonous aspect to Human behaviour be the source of the need to create and project parental images (God/Gods) from our imagination onto the harsh environment we find ourselves in after leaving the womb?
Could the need to envision an imaginary extension of life after death,come from the inability we have to find fulfillment even after carrying out the demands of our reproductive biological imperative?

Our population density,and continuous close proximity to others of our own kind has in my opinion led to a massive breakdown of what our Hunter/Gatherer ancestors may of considered the species norm.
Our confined Zoo like existance has meant that we our now able to objectify each other to such an extent,that even the slightest difference in thought or behaviour can erode if not totally extinguish any sympathy or empathy we may of once had for other sub-groups of our own species.
Such trivial differences as culture,language and religion seem to be enough to break the,"Do not unnessacarily kill your own kind",barrier that most other Mammals seem to abide by.

For a Human Being to feel emotionally and psychologically fulfilled,and therefore more able to face death because they have actually lived,I think that it is necessary for them to be satisfied with all their inter-personal relationships.
By this I do not mean some utopian perfection,but just an environment free of family betrayal and mistrust and a situation where identified members of one's own species behave toward each other in ways that are easy to comprehend.

Of course in the Minimum Security Prison/Zoo that most Human Beings find themselves confined to,this is not possible...
So I suppose I have a rather gloomy outlook for Human evolution,with a massive continuing increase in the Zoo population,but no foreseeable increase in the size of our enclosure,I think an ever increasing level of domestication is inevitable...

What do you forecast for the future of the Human Race?

Will

It depends a great deal on mutations, most of which are quite random. My only concern is that the first human with gills will be considered "gross" by the opposite sex and we'll miss the opportunity to become marine mammals, thus taking advantage of the fact that most of our planet is covered in liquid water.

What I do know is that quite soon our population growth will hit a ceiling, one way or another. We'll eat all the fish, drink all the non-salt water, and eat all the crops. I'm hoping that someone smart can control the morons in order to bring about the change before it leads to mass starvation. I mean really, there shouldn't be more than 500 million humans on the planet at one time in order to not overshoot homeostasis.

If we do turn to cannibalism, I hope to be braised and made into tacos. I love braised tacos.
I want bad people to look forward to and celebrate the day I die, because if they don't, I'm not living up to my potential.

McQ

Good topic, pagan1. Of course, now I'll actually have to go and read that book, as it has been gathering dust on my bookshelf for over a year or so! Dammit!  ;)
Elvis didn't do no drugs!
--Penn Jillette