Have we stopped evolving as a species?

When we are at school, we learn about how evolution has occurred throughout history, and it is a fascinating subject. Both human beings and animals have developed physical and behavioral characteristics in relation to the environment and context that surrounds us. Thus, with the use of fire, clothing, crops and the adaptation of the environment to build shelters, human beings developed the capacities that best suited the lifestyle we built.

Today, with the advancement of technologies and the rapid changes in the environment, it is worth asking ourselves if we continue to evolve. Although it seems that our control over the environment and living conditions has caused us to slow down natural selection, this is not the case. Evolution is a continuous process that happens through mutations and natural selection over long periods of time. There are processes that occur at unpredictable rates and that transform species or communities to better adapt to life.

"The DNA that makes up our genes, like that of all living organisms on Earth (except for some viruses), is subject to the 'rules' of random mutation. From time to time, these mutations affect an important trait, such as the color of an animal's fur," says National Geographic, to explain the processes of evolution. Likewise, with the intervention of the human being in the environment and in the development processes of life, it also manages to generate changes in itself and in other species.

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Thus, today it is possible to notice different phenomena, traits, or behaviors that account for our constant evolution as human beings. We tell you about some adaptations that prove it:

Absence of wisdom or wisdom teeth

Since the origin of humanity, the diets of human beings have changed enormously. For this reason, it is not surprising that more and more children are born without their wisdom teeth, molars, or wisdom teeth. It is a question of evolution, because every day they are more unnecessary due to our eating styles. Thus, it may be a matter of decades for them to simply be teeth that no longer emerge.

Decrease in body temperature

A group of researchers from Stanford University found that human body temperature has been decreasing. 677,423 body temperature measurements taken from people of different ages and over a long period were analyzed. "We found that men born in the early 19th century had temperatures 0,59°C higher than men today, with a monotonous decrease of -0,03°C per decade of birth," the research notes. This is a sign of evolution, as it seems to respond to changes in living conditions, the decrease in infections and inflammation in general. However, this change also means fewer calories are required to meet needs.

Lactose tolerance

In principle, mammals only tolerate their mother's milk when they are babies or in their first years of life. However, human beings began to drink milk from other species, such as cows or goats. The particular thing is that we also do it when we are adults. However, not all people have developed the ability to produce lactase in adulthood, for this reason there are those who are intolerant to dairy. Thus, producing this enzyme and tolerating dairy products is the result of evolution.

Lighter bones

Various investigations suggest that since Homo sapiens massified food crops, bones have been losing density. Our daily tasks require less and less physical effort. "Previous studies suggest that skeletal gracefulness is the result of lack of physical activity due to increased reliance on culture, is a biomechanical consequence of bipedal locomotion, or reflects systemic physiological differences between modern humans and other primates," says one research conducted by scientists at The Ohio State University.

Increase in life expectancy

Most countries have increased the life expectancy of their citizens in recent decades. Although it may not seem like it, this ability to live longer is also a product of evolution. Societies have managed to increase their quality of life in order to live longer, treat diseases in time and live longer. However, it is not a widespread phenomenon and there are also patterns of behavior and modification of the environment that are being dangerous, not to mention inequality.

What will the humans of the future be like?

Science has also been interested in knowing what humans will be like in the future. For this reason, various predictions have been made that allow us to imagine that human traits and capacities will be transformed. The common denominator of these findings is that technology will be the determining factor that will change our anatomy and functioning. To begin with, it is expected that we will have larger eyes with different eyelids, better adapted to screens. Likewise, our extremities will be transformed to better master the technologies. Finally, developments in health will make us increasingly resistant to diseases, or we can prevent them more effectively. Not to mention genetic editing, which is still rough terrain, as it is in full swing.