I very much enjoyed this week’s readings and lecture. Though it was short, the material presented gave us an interesting look at how all the material on human evolution we have covered in the past 7 weeks can now be applied to our life today and how we have gone great lengths to subvert it.

One example I would like to use is the aspect of genetic drift. Genetic drift is variation in the relative frequency of different genotypes in a small population, because of the disappearance of genes as individuals die or do not reproduce. Genetic drift can occur because of war, famine, culture, religion, or several different reasons. I thought it was interesting how the video in our previous lecture brought up the example of the Amish. Because the Amish only mate within themselves and inside the Amish community, their genes are different from those without the same stipulations. As a result, the Amish are noticeably physically different looking from those who are not Amish.

Another great example dealing with humans and evolution is natural selection. Natural selection and survival of the fittest is also an example of how humans have not stopped changing. The effects of natural selections on humans depends strongly on the environment surrounding the person. As we learned, so many can go into the environment shaping human biology. Most specifically though, is disease. As we learned in some of the first lectures of the course, certain populations are more susceptible and resistant to certain types of illness and diseases. Many times, bodies build up defense systems over the years to the certain diseases environment if it is common and able to. When new diseases come about, each person’s genetics can determine whether or not they can fight the disease. New diseases can spread like pandemics. Ebola is one of the diseases that spread quickly. Our environment is also an important part for Natural Selection. An example of that would be using mosquito nets in certain areas to keep malaria away. Treatments for diseases can keep the diseases away if they are combated correctly.

Finally, I think the most obvious impact to human evolution is modern technology. For example, look at our advances in medicine and health care. From vaccines to antibiotics to surgeries and prosthetics, human beings have come an unbelievably long way as far as medical advancements (and we continue to make new strides all the time). Many once-deadly diseases are now easily curable. Diseases that once may have killed a person in childhood can be managed throughout an adult’s lifetime, and potentially be spread to children if they choose to reproduce.  Many forms of cancer are now highly curable, and with new fertility technology, people may be able to reproduce after treatment and pass on these genes. Technology allows humans to live longer and healthier lives, which drastically impacts evolution.

Humans have evolved in many different ways over many, many years. From obtaining the ability to walk upright, to simply adapting teeth size and shape, we have come a long way in our physical, biological, behavioral, and environmental evolution. We as Humans will forever be changing, maybe not rapidly but gradually. We may not see phenotypic traits changes among humans in our life time, but we will continue to see the small things that are not always in plain sight.