There are many ways in which humans are continuing to evolve biologically, behaviorally, environmentally, and culturally. The crazy thing is, we will probably never stop evolving. The effects evolutions may take years and years to show, but they are occurring. I have a few examples to demonstrate what I mean.

I think one of the coolest things we can do today has the ability to change our genetics. In the article, “Taming the New Frontiers in Gene Editing” they mention a gene-editing tool, CRISPR-Cas9, which “gives humans the ability to swap out sections of the genome with less money and time”. This tool allows genes to be cut out and be replaced with different sequences. Although, this is not the first time I have heard of something like this. I know that genetic engineering is very common in produce (GMOs). Although, this advancement is not recent as we all think it is. Many people see the negative sides of technological advancement relating to genetic engineering. Our diet had changed compared to our ancestors. Additionally, we now have things like In Vitro Fertilization which helps women become pregnant. Personally, I find it VERY cool that we able to pick and choose what part of the gene we want to keep, and we want to cut away. This not only shows the scientific advancements but shows the technological advancements we have made as well. One big technological advance we have made is the way we communicate. In the past, we would write letters just to communicate with someone far away. Now, we can dial a number and video call a person halfway across the country. Crazy to think that in 100 years from now, humans will invent something that we never even knew could have existed!

Something I find very interesting is the evolution of our teeth. From this lecture, we have learned that the shape and function of our teeth have changed. Many believe that our ancestors used their wisdom teeth for food that required more chewing. But nowadays, we no longer need our wisdom teeth. In most people, wisdom teeth will cause pain and/or damage to other teeth. They can also cause infections if they get trapped inside your gums. Therefore, we get them removed.

Another article we read this week was, “Evolution and the Origins of Disease”. In this article, they dedicated a section to evolved defenses and this stood out to me the most. They mentioned that coughing is one of the most useful defense mechanisms because it can be fatal to have foreign matter in your lungs. It is interesting how coughing is what allows us to feel the presence of pain, so we can clear that matter. The article even states that “cough or pain is usually interpreted as disease or trauma but is actually part of the solution rather than the problem.” My favorite part of this section was when they talked about morning sickness and how most people consider it to be a horrible side effect of pregnancy. However, it is beneficial. Nausea indicated that the substance may be harmful to the fetus. These defense mechanisms are “shaped by natural selection”. Natural selection is basically when the organisms learn to adapt to a new environment to survive and reproduce. I find it very fascinating that our mechanisms are defense is beneficial to us, yet we might find them annoying or unpleasant. Our bodies are always looking out of us!

Overall, I think this was my favorite week of the class because I was able to connect all the information, we have learned over the past seven weeks. Also, I enjoyed writing this blog post because while I was writing it, I kept making comparisons to the past and it got me curious about a bunch of things! This course has offered a lot of knowledge regarding evolution. Before this course, I did not know if I would enjoy it. But now, I am more curious than ever about the past and how evolution has shaped us. I find it extremely fascinating that we have been changing and will continue to change!