(June 29, 2016 at 5:26 am)chimp3 Wrote: 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.
