scholarly journals The Impact of 'Anthropotechnology' on Human Evolution

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Blad ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Biological Evolution ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Evolutionary Path ◽  
Peter Sloterdijk ◽  
The Impact

From the time that they diverged from their common ancestor, chimpanzees and humans have had a very different evolutionary path. It seems obvious that the appearance of culture and technology has increasingly alienated humans from the path of natural selection that has informed chimpanzee evolution. According to philosopher Peter Sloterdijk any type of technology is bound to have genetic effects. But to what extent do genomic comparisons provide evidence for such an impact of ‘anthropotechnology’ on our biological evolution?

scholarly journals The Impact of Direct Challenges to Student Endorsement of Teleological Reasoning on Understanding and Acceptance of Natural Selection

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Wingert ◽  
Gennie Bassett ◽  
Caitlin Terry ◽  
Jimin Lee
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Reflective Writing ◽  
Evolutionary Medicine ◽  
Mixed Methods Design ◽  
Teleological Reasoning ◽  
Acceptance Of Evolution ◽  
Instructional Activities ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Teleological reasoning is a cognitive bias purported to disrupt student ability to understand natural selection. Few studies have described pedagogical efforts to decrease student endorsement of teleological reasoning and measure the effects of this attenuation on the understanding and acceptance of evolution. This study examined the influence of explicit instructional activities directly challenging student endorsement of teleological explanations for evolutionary adaptations on their learning of natural selection over a semester-long undergraduate course in evolutionary medicine. In a convergent mixed-methods design this study combined pre- and post-semester survey data (N = 83) on understanding natural selection, student endorsement of teleological reasoning, and acceptance of evolution, with thematic analysis of student reflective writing on their understanding and acceptance of natural selection and teleological reasoning.Results: Student endorsement of teleological reasoning decreased and understanding and acceptance of natural selection increased during a course on human evolution with teleological intervention (p£0.0001), compared to a control course. Endorsement of teleological reasoning was predictive of understanding of natural selection prior to the semester. Thematic analysis revealed that students were largely unaware of the concept of teleological reasoning prior to the course, but perceived attenuation of their own teleological reasoning by the end of the semester. Conclusions: Students are unaware of their high levels of endorsement of teleological reasoning upon entrance into the undergraduate human evolution course, which is consequential because teleological reasoning is a predicter of natural selection understanding. We developed class activities to directly challenge student endorsement of unwarranted design teleological reasoning. As a result, students had decreased unwarranted teleological reasoning and increased acceptance and understanding of natural selection over the course of the semester. The data presented show that students are receptive to explicit instructional challenges to their teleological reasoning and that attenuation of this bias is associated with gains in natural selection understanding and acceptance.

Randomness and Complexity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven E. Vigdor
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Mechanics ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Rna World ◽  
Biological Evolution ◽  
Variable Theory ◽  
Cosmological Natural Selection ◽  
Einstein Podolsky Rosen ◽  
World Hypothesis ◽  
Rna World Hypothesis

Chapter 7 describes the fundamental role of randomness in quantum mechanics, in generating the first biomolecules, and in biological evolution. Experiments testing the Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen paradox have demonstrated, via Bell’s inequalities, that no local hidden variable theory can provide a viable alternative to quantum mechanics, with its fundamental randomness built in. Randomness presumably plays an equally important role in the chemical assembly of a wide array of polymer molecules to be sampled for their ability to store genetic information and self-replicate, fueling the sort of abiogenesis assumed in the RNA world hypothesis of life’s beginnings. Evidence for random mutations in biological evolution, microevolution of both bacteria and antibodies and macroevolution of the species, is briefly reviewed. The importance of natural selection in guiding the adaptation of species to changing environments is emphasized. A speculative role of cosmological natural selection for black-hole fecundity in the evolution of universes is discussed.

scholarly journals Information about Human Evolution: An Analysis of News Published in Communication Media in Spanish between 2015 and 2017

Publications ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Jon Ander Garibi ◽  
Alvaro Antón ◽  
José Domingo Villarroel
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Print Media ◽  
Biological Evolution ◽  
Knowledge Dissemination ◽  
Communication Media ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Scientific Journalism

The present study examines a sample of 220 pieces of news related to human evolution, written in Spanish and published over a period of two years, both in digital and print media. The aim of this study is to assess the rigor and coherence of the information in the news in our sample with scientific knowledge on the theory of evolution. To this end, errors and the incorrect use of concepts related to biological evolution are identified, classified according to criteria resulting from the review of previous studies, and finally, the frequency of errors identified in news published in print media is compared with that identified in digital media. The results presented allow us to highlight the significantly high frequency of errors in the news analyzed and the most frequent error categories. Results are discussed within the frame of the important role that scientific journalism plays in the processes of knowledge dissemination, in this case, related to human evolution.

Interactions Between Natural Selection, Recombination and Gene Density in the Genes of Drosophila

Genetics ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 160 (2) ◽  
pp. 595-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jody Hey ◽  
Richard M Kliman
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Recombination Rate ◽  
Codon Bias ◽  
Gene Density ◽  
Drosophila Genome ◽  
Functional Variation ◽  
Subtle Effect ◽  
Efficiency Of Selection ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn Drosophila, as in many organisms, natural selection leads to high levels of codon bias in genes that are highly expressed. Thus codon bias is an indicator of the intensity of one kind of selection that is experienced by genes and can be used to assess the impact of other genomic factors on natural selection. Among 13,000 genes in the Drosophila genome, codon bias has a slight positive, and strongly significant, association with recombination—as expected if recombination allows natural selection to act more efficiently when multiple linked sites segregate functional variation. The same reasoning leads to the expectation that the efficiency of selection, and thus average codon bias, should decline with gene density. However, this prediction is not confirmed. Levels of codon bias and gene expression are highest for those genes in an intermediate range of gene density, a pattern that may be the result of a tradeoff between the advantages for gene expression of close gene spacing and disadvantages arising from regulatory conflicts among tightly packed genes. These factors appear to overlay the more subtle effect of linkage among selected sites that gives rise to the association between recombination rate and codon bias.

scholarly journals Grid search approach to discriminate between old and recent inbreeding using phenotypic, pedigree and genomic information

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pattarapol Sumreddee ◽  
El Hamidi Hay ◽  
Sajjad Toghiani ◽  
Andrew Roberts ◽  
Samuel E. Aggrey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Growth Traits ◽  
Average Daily Gain ◽  
Recent Common Ancestor ◽  
Pedigree Information ◽  
Grid Search ◽  
Genomic Information ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Daily Gain ◽  
Harmful Effects

Abstract Background Although inbreeding caused by the mating of animals related through a recent common ancestor is expected to have more harmful effects on phenotypes than ancient inbreeding (old inbreeding), estimating these effects requires a clear definition of recent (new) and ancient (old) inbreeding. Several methods have been proposed to classify inbreeding using pedigree and genomic data. Unfortunately, these methods are largely based on heuristic criteria such as the number of generations from a common ancestor or length of runs of homozygosity (ROH) segments. To mitigate these deficiencies, this study aimed to develop a method to classify pedigree and genomic inbreeding into recent and ancient classes based on a grid search algorithm driven by the assumption that new inbreeding tends to have a more pronounced detrimental effect on traits. The proposed method was tested using a cattle population characterized by a deep pedigree. Results Effects of recent and ancient inbreeding were assessed on four growth traits (birth, weaning and yearling weights and average daily gain). Thresholds to classify inbreeding into recent and ancient classes were trait-specific and varied across traits and sources of information. Using pedigree information, inbreeding generated in the last 10 to 11 generations was considered as recent. When genomic information (ROH) was used, thresholds ranged between four to seven generations, indicating, in part, the ability of ROH segments to characterize the harmful effects of inbreeding in shorter periods of time. Nevertheless, using the proposed classification method, the discrimination between new and old inbreeding was less robust when ROH segments were used compared to pedigree. Using several model comparison criteria, the proposed approach was generally better than existing methods. Recent inbreeding appeared to be more harmful across the growth traits analyzed. However, both new and old inbreeding were found to be associated with decreased yearling weight and average daily gain. Conclusions The proposed method provided a more objective quantitative approach for the classification of inbreeding. The proposed method detected a clear divergence in the effects of old and recent inbreeding using pedigree data and it was superior to existing methods for all analyzed traits. Using ROH data, the discrimination between old and recent inbreeding was less clear and the proposed method was superior to existing approaches for two out of the four analyzed traits. Deleterious effects of recent inbreeding were detected sooner (fewer generations) using genomic information than pedigree. Difference in the results using genomic and pedigree information could be due to the dissimilarity in the number of generations to a common ancestor. Additionally, the uncertainty associated with the identification of ROH segments and associated inbreeding could have an effect on the results. Potential biases in the estimation of inbreeding effects may occur when new and old inbreeding are discriminated based on arbitrary thresholds. To minimize the impact of inbreeding, mating designs should take the different inbreeding origins into consideration.

scholarly journals Selective Constraints on Intron Evolution in Drosophila

Genetics ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 165 (4) ◽  
pp. 1843-1851 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Parsch
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Common Ancestor ◽  
Length Distribution ◽  
Short Length ◽  
Intron Length ◽  
Intron Evolution ◽  
Intron Size ◽  
Duplicated Genes ◽  
Selective Constraints

AbstractIntron sizes show an asymmetrical distribution in a number of organisms, with a large number of “short” introns clustered around a minimal intron length and a much broader distribution of longer introns. In Drosophila melanogaster, the short intron class is centered around 61 bp. The narrow length distribution suggests that natural selection may play a role in maintaining intron size. A comparison of 15 orthologous introns among species of the D. melanogaster subgroup indicates that, in general, short introns are not under greater DNA sequence or length constraints than long introns. There is a bias toward deletions in all introns (deletion/insertion ratio is 1.66), and the vast majority of indels are of short length (<10 bp). Indels occurring on the internal branches of the phylogenetic tree are significantly longer than those occurring on the terminal branches. These results are consistent with a compensatory model of intron length evolution in which slightly deleterious short deletions are frequently fixed within species by genetic drift, and relatively rare larger insertions that restore intron length are fixed by positive selection. A comparison of paralogous introns shared among duplicated genes suggests that length constraints differ between introns within the same gene. The janusA, janusB, and ocnus genes share two short introns derived from a common ancestor. The first of these introns shows significantly fewer indels than the second intron, although the two introns show a comparable number of substitutions. This indicates that intron-specific selective constraints have been maintained following gene duplication, which preceded the divergence of the D. melanogaster species subgroup.

Fatal asymmetries

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Luis Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Artificial Selection ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Charles Darwin ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Descent Of Man

Abstract In Descent of Man, Charles Darwin noted the impact of political institutions on natural selection. He thought that institutions such as asylums or hospitals may deter natural selection; however, he did not reach a decisive answer. Questions remain as to whether the selective impacts of political institutions, which in Darwin’s terms may be referred to as “artificial selection,” are compatible with natural selection, and if so, to what extent. This essay argues that currently there appears to be an essential mismatch between nature and political institutions. Unfitted institutions put exogenous and disproportionate pressures on living beings. This creates consequences for what is postulated as the condition of basic equivalence, which allows species and individuals to enjoy similar chances of survival under natural circumstances. Thus, contrary to Darwin’s expectations, it is sustained that assumed natural selection is not discouraged but becomes exacerbated by political institutions. In such conditions, selection becomes primarily artificial and perhaps mainly political, with consequences for species’ evolutionary future.

Pregnancy as a Factor of Adaptive Human Evolution. The Role of Natural Selection in the Origin of Preeclampsia

2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-35
Author(s):  
V. N. Serebrova ◽  
E. A. Trifonova ◽  
V. A. Stepanov
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Human Evolution

scholarly journals Who are We, and Who (or What) Do We Want to Become? An Evolutionary Perspective on Biotransformative Technologies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Lyons-Weiler
Keyword(s):  
Human Evolution ◽  
Adaptive Landscape ◽  
Endogenous Factors ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Organic Evolution ◽  
Adaptive Landscapes ◽  
Augmented Cognition ◽  
Language Writing ◽  
Cognitive Plasticity ◽  
The Impact

AbstractHuman evolution sits at several important thresholds. In organic evolution, interplay between exogenous environmental and genetic factors rendered new phenotypes at rates limited by genetic variation. The interplay took place on adaptive fitness landscapes determined by correspondence of genetic and environmental relationships. Human evolution involved important emergences that altered the adaptive landscape: language, writing, organized societies, science, and the internet. These endogenous factors ushered in transformative periods leading to more rapidly evolving emergences. I explore the impact of development of emerging biotransformative technologies capable of being applied to effect self-genetic modification and artificial intelligence-augmented cognition on the evolutionary landscape of phenotypes important to cognitive plasticity. Interaction effects will yield unanticipated emergences resulting in hyperrealm adaptive landscapes with more rapid evolutionary processes that feed back upon more fundamental levels while vastly outpacing organic evolution. Emerging technologies exist that are likely to impact the evolution of cognitive plasticity in humans in ways and at rates that will lead to societal upheaval. I show that the theoretical contribution of organic evolution in future human evolution is expected to become comparatively insignificant relative to that made by endogenous environmental factors such as external cognition aids and manipulation of the human genome. The results support the conclusion of a strong recommendation of a moratorium on the adoption of any technology capable of completely altering the course of human evolution.

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