Homo evolutis

[chimp3]

What do you think of the idea that we are evolving into a new species named Homo evolutis ? The first species to take command of it's own evolutionary future? I can think of one simple proof this may be happening. Vaccination against disease. Is modern medicine our extended phenotype?

[brewer]

Not to my way of thinking.

[Mister Agenda]

We'll be a new species when our genome has changed enough that we would have difficulty interbreeding with current humans.

[Whateverist]

What do you think of the idea that we are evolving into a new species named Homo evolutis ? The first species to take command of it's own evolutionary future? I can think of one simple proof this may be happening. Vaccination against disease. Is modern medicine our extended phenotype?

There isn't any selection happening by way of vaccination.  Everyone gets vaccinated, accept the conspiracy theorists.  Furthermore there is no breeding advantage involved for either the vaccinated or the unvaccinated.  Presently those who breed the most tend to be those living in under-developed countries with the highest infant mortality.  Education is negatively associated with family size in developed countries.  It is hard to see how natural selection can function in the current population in the developed world, though if some especially deadly virus broke out of something like ebola we might discover pockets of immunity.  That would be evolution in progress.

[TheRealJoeFish]

What do you think of the idea that we are evolving into a new species named Homo evolutis ? The first species to take command of it's own evolutionary future? I can think of one simple proof this may be happening. Vaccination against disease. Is modern medicine our extended phenotype?

I mean, it's an interesting concept to think about: once we reached the point where we could define ourselves as a species, when will we reach the point where we're a different species?

The technical answer, as Mister Agenda says, surely involves the genome.

The lay answer is, I would think: "not for many thousands of years."

But it is an interesting issue philosophically I think

[The Grand Nudger]

I doubt that gene editing will take a thousand years to take off. When -might- we become seperate species, or more likely consider varying groups sub-species...almost as soon as we figure out how.

Homo evolutis, though..probably not.....more like Homo-rich, and Homo-poor.

[dyresand]

I doubt that gene editing will take a thousand years to take off.  When -might- we become seperate species, or more likely consider varying groups sub-species...almost as soon as we figure out how.

Homo evolutis, though..probably not.....more like Homo-rich, and Homo-poor.

we already use Gene editing along with CISPR both of which are going into human trial testing.
That being said Gene editing along with CISPR are both the key to fighting cancer and HIV/AIDs.
I posted a link about this already but yeah both are going into human trials you can already get your genes
edited i will probably do mine as well get the junk ones thrown along with the negative ones so that way
when or if i have a kid he/she gets all the good stuff.

[Iroscato]

Our evolution is going nowhere until I fulfill my destiny and lead humanity to the New Paradigm.

[The Grand Nudger]

we already use Gene editing along with CISPR both of which are going into human trial testing.
That being said Gene editing along with CISPR are both the key to fighting cancer and HIV/AIDs.
I posted a link about this already but yeah both are going into human trials you can already get your genes
edited i will probably do mine as well get the junk ones thrown along with the negative ones so that way
when or if i have a kid he/she gets all the good stuff.

Oh I know, it's all the rage.  I'd say that you aren't really imagining the full potential of the tech, though, if all you're going to have done is get rid of "the bad stuff".  How do you plan to pay for that, anyway?

Don;t get me wrong, I think the tech is great...and I'd go for something entirely more exotic than just shoring up whatever genetic frailty exists in me, hell...I'd have opted to turn my kids into ubermensch in-utero if it was on the table.
(not that they'll need it, you should all be prepared to feel the cruel thigh high stiletto of my Morrigan on your necks someday)

[LastPoet]

So, lets assume we can send a ship to a planet taking some like 10000 years for us to hear from them again. Woould we still be the same species? Probably not given environment differences on said planet.