Will our kids be a different species?

[hagbard]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Syi9bqfFIdY&feature=share

Kewl.

[yao416]

Can you post something. I ain't gonna watch a 16 min video

[stuntman]

I did not even watch the video. The answer is no.

same species living in a different environment. Keep buying those plastic bottles and other disposable items people.

[pupazzo]

Summary plz.

[sandikosh]

Anyone watch that video and can tell me what he says?

[stuntman]

Summary plz.

"kewl"

[ishfish]

Ok, it was of some interest.

The order of magnitude change he believes reflects the development of Homo evolutis - a species not only conscious of itself but also one that controls the evolution of its own species as well as plants, bacteria...

Some of his evidence is questionable. For example, he talks of the dramatic increase in autism. If you look at the DSM ( the sacred book that lists the criteria for autism and other diagnoses) then one sees a change in criteria for that diagnosis which coupled with better education of professionals/parents can account for major increases in numbers diagnosed with autism.

But will Homo sapiens be able to actively create a new Homo something or other? Is is going to happen as soon as he suggests (ie. within two or three generations) - interesting to think about.

Thanks OP. Interesting topic, but I think a summary and posing questions would have improved the openning.

[brunes]

Anyone watch that video and can tell me what he says?

I got something about our kids being a different species, then tuned out

[DaVibe]

You can really make a comment about this entire website since all these viewers (including myself) won't watch a 16-minute video because someone else recommended it ...

We're sad.

[stuntman]

You can really make a comment about this entire website since all these viewers (including myself) won't watch a 16-minute video because someone else recommended it ...

We're sad.

We are not sad. If the guy put a summary up then maybe a few people would watch it.
Do you do what every faceless names tells you? Heck no.

[JAC]

He has a BA and and MBA from Harvard. There's no doubt he's a smart guy, but he's hardly qualified to lecture on genomics and evolution.

The only way humans will evolve is GATTACA-style.

[stuntman]

He has a BA and and MBA from Harvard. There's no doubt he's a smart guy, but he's hardly qualified to lecture on genomics and evolution.

The only way humans will evolve is GATTACA-style.

or X-Men Style?

I think the sand people were victims of nuclear hollicost.

Personally I think extinction is a more likely scenario (skeptical)

[Xiaohaibao]

Betteridge's Law of Headlines applies to this video.

[Syne]

He has a BA and and MBA from Harvard. There's no doubt he's a smart guy, but he's hardly qualified to lecture on genomics and evolution.

The only way humans will evolve is GATTACA-style.

This is exactly it. I actually watched this video a couple weeks back with my friend who is an M.Sc. with a major in biology. I'm also a biology major. This guy is very weak on the science of speciation and when we looked this guy up and saw his credentials, a lightbulb appeared and we both said at pretty much the same time,

"Business guy."

No scientific background at all.

[007craft]

ill sum it up.

- Humans have been evolving for millions of years, proof.
- Currently we have evolved into conscious beings and we are still evolving
- We are now entering a new stage of evolution where we have become a species who controls its own evolution.


My opinion: I agree with it all. Ive always had the theory that evolution is life's (a species) quest to evolving into a self life creating entity. It's my belief that eventually, we (or some other species) will in fact become god.

As for the guy giving the speech, cut him some slack. When the CEO of rogers give a press conference about new phones and technology that his company is releasing, do you really think hes smart enough to design phones and tech? Most companys hire a "face" to better communicate to the public.

[virgilaug]

They would be half white half black. What does that make?

[Syne]

To answer the thread title:

Speciation occurs through a series of reproductive isolating mechanisms (RIMs) which restrict or prevent breeding from one population to another. Over several generations, these mechanisms will likely result in sterile offspring if these two populations were to ever inter-breed (think of a mule)

So the question, "Will our kids be a different species" is rather nonsensical if you think of it in taxonomical terms. If humans were to ever speciate, some of our kids would isolate to become this new species, and others would not.

It's important to note that without a speciation event to compare to, even large changes to the human genome would not result in a species change unless we assigned it to ourselves. We would need a diverging population of genus: homo to break off like I described above, to even satisfy our current phylogenetic charting methods.

I hope this answers the question.

[Powder + park raider]

wow everyone on rfd are now geneticists. lol

[king_george]

To answer the thread title:

Speciation occurs through a series of reproductive isolating mechanisms (RIMs) which restrict or prevent breeding from one population to another. Over several generations, these mechanisms will likely result in sterile offspring if these two populations were to ever inter-breed (think of a mule)

So the question, "Will our kids be a different species" is rather nonsensical if you think of it in taxonomical terms. If humans were to ever speciate, some of our kids would isolate to become this new species, and others would not.

It's important to note that without a speciation event to compare to, even large changes to the human genome would not result in a species change unless we assigned it to ourselves. We would need a diverging population of genus: homo to break off like I described above, to even satisfy our current phylogenetic charting methods.

I hope this answers the question.

Syne, in your opinion will the human race eventually "homogenize" into one large race? Are there any genetic barriers from that happening? I'm speaking over the very long term of course, not in our lifetimes or even our grandchildrens lifetime.

[Syne]

Syne, in your opinion will the human race eventually "homogenize" into one large race? Are there any genetic barriers from that happening? I'm speaking over the very long term of course, not in our lifetimes or even our grandchildrens lifetime.

There are no genetic barriers within humans that I know of. It would surely be interesting to see some of the more isolated tribes in the Amazon, say a Pygmy for example, bred with some of people from more modern and homogenized cultures, to see if there are any barriers. Yet such a study would be very controversial.

As to whether humanity will homogenize, I would say that's almost a complete certainty, although geographic and economic barriers will slow this process, although I doubt long enough for actual speciation to occur. If it were to occur, it would have a better chance of happening over clines in the pre-industrial era.

As an aside, it's worth mentioning that the term "species" can get fuzzy, as many of what we now consider discrete species due to sexual selection can potentially interbreed. Taxonomy is a 'living science' in that it not only deals with the living, but in itself it is constantly changing.

[king_george]

There are no genetic barriers within humans that I know of. It would surely be interesting to see some of the more isolated tribes in the Amazon, say a Pygmy for example, bred with some of people from more modern and homogenized cultures, to see if there are any barriers. Yet such a study would be very controversial.

As to whether humanity will homogenize, I would say that's almost a complete certainty, although geographic and economic barriers will slow this process, although I doubt long enough for actual speciation to occur. If it were to occur, it would have a better chance of happening over clines in the pre-industrial era.

As an aside, it's worth mentioning that the term "species" can get fuzzy, as many of what we now consider discrete species due to sexual selection can potentially interbreed. Taxonomy is a 'living science' in that it not only deals with the living, but in itself it is constantly changing.

That makes sense to a non-genetecist type like me.

From what I've read, speciation is a really really fuzzy term mostly used by creationist types to validate their beliefs.

[Syne]

Yep, creationists use the fact that we don't have living examples of human speciation as evidence that we are products of the divine. However, we can see speciation events take place in species that have much shorter lifespans like fruit flies, where we can breed hundreds of generations within a short period of time or 'speed up evolution' as it were.

There are many theories why only one species of homo remains on earth today. One is feuding tribes, another is adaptation to climate, and another is that we, like you alluded to earlier, homogenized early in our evolution and all became a single species, which explains why we can all interbreed.

[king_george]

Yep, creationists use the fact that we don't have living examples of human speciation as evidence that we are products of the divine. However, we can see speciation events take place in species that have much shorter lifespans like fruit flies, where we can breed hundreds of generations within a short period of time or 'speed up evolution' as it were.


TBH, that's the only time I've heard that term used extensively. Most creationists in my experience dismiss the fruit fly experiments because they don't involve humans.


There are many theories why only one species of homo remains on earth today. One is feuding tribes, another is adaptation to climate, and another is that we, like you alluded to earlier, homogenized early in our evolution and all became a single species, which explains why we can all interbreed.

I spent most of my teenage years trying to do just that.:lol:

Geez imagine the toal circle jerk the world would be with more than one species of human....racism is bad enough but specieism (If thats a word)???

the research into Human evolution fascinates me.

[Jucius Maximus]

This is actually a pretty cool video. People should just watch it.

If I posted a summary, most people would be just tl;dr.

[aplayaz2000]

yeah, we will evolve

just not in another few thousands of years

[dealseeker2011]

I don't have time to watch the video either. But how can our kids be a different species?;)

[masterhapposai]

which explains why we can all interbreed.

Its extremely difficult and sometimes impossible for a Negative blood type mother to have children with a positive blood type dad.

We're breaking this rule by force with science (rhogam).

This is unnatural.

[stuntman]

OK watched it. I don't think he things a couple of generations....but he thinks it could start in a couple of generations for a percentage of the population. The guy did not draw conclusions....the only pieces that fit for me off the top of my head

1) Natural selection (see sexy geek part)
2) We end up manipulating our own genes
a) we do it in a lab (he did not specify this)
b) we do it as per that movie Gattaca (he alluded to this with the Olympian thing)

The other stuff about chemicals etc for those that may have misinterpreted were not the changing of genes to provide new qualities (that would take way more than a couple of generations and kills a lot more than it creates in the short term) but he effect that those chemicals have on our own genes. For instance turning dormant genes on or active ones off) or changing how they behave

What is driving this? A change in our environment.
And yes. I know something about genetics PPR.

[xlc_88]

OK watched it. I don't think he things a couple of generations....but he thinks it could start in a couple of generations for a percentage of the population. The guy did not draw conclusions....the only pieces that fit for me off the top of my head

1) Natural selection (see sexy geek part)
2) We end up manipulating our own genes
a) we do it in a lab (he did not specify this)
b) we do it as per that movie Gattaca (he alluded to this with the Olympian thing)

The other stuff about chemicals etc for those that may have misinterpreted were not the changing of genes to provide new qualities (that would take way more than a couple of generations and kills a lot more than it creates in the short term) but he effect that those chemicals have on our own genes. For instance turning dormant genes on or active ones off) or changing how they behave

What is driving this? A change in our environment.
And yes. I know something about genetics PPR.

What you just explained is a newly emerging field called epigenetics. It's a fascinating field that brings on the debate of nature vs. nuture.

[xlc_88]

Syne, in your opinion will the human race eventually "homogenize" into one large race? Are there any genetic barriers from that happening? I'm speaking over the very long term of course, not in our lifetimes or even our grandchildrens lifetime.

Well there are lethal alleles. The homogenization of the human race can bring out these lethal alleles. Of course, if these lethal alleles do not increase our fitness, they will slowly be weeded out so to speak. An example of a beneficial lethal allele is sickle cell anemia in areas of malaria.

[bman77]

eventually