For years, we’ve been told that humans have stopped evolving.
We’ve reached the end of the evolutionary road, or so the conventional wisdom goes.
However, this idea is not only outdated, it’s flat-out wrong.
Contrary to what you may have been led to believe, humans are evolving faster than ever—and not in the slow, gradual way we’ve come to expect.
The pace of our evolution is accelerating, and the reasons behind it might just surprise you.
In a fascinating first episode of the University of New South Wales (UNSW)’s new YouTube series, ‘How Did We Get Here’, evolutionary biologist Darren Curnoe uncovers why human evolution is far from over.
Instead, it’s happening right now, and it’s happening quickly.
But how can this be? Aren’t we modern humans, with all of our advanced technology and medicine, beyond the reach of evolutionary pressures?
You may be surprised by the answer.
The secret, as Curnoe explains, lies in the way our DNA works.
Human evolution isn’t a thing of the past; it’s an ongoing process that’s embedded in the very biology of our species.
If you want a glimpse of where humanity might be headed, look at the evolution of genetic diversity and the dramatic changes we’ve made to our environment.
The Hidden Forces Driving Our Evolution Today
Let’s start by debunking one common myth:
we are not “done” evolving.
If anything, the rapid changes we’re seeing in our environment today are actually speeding up the process of natural selection.
Our DNA is constantly being reshuffled as it copies itself, and this reshuffling creates genetic variation.
This variation is key to evolution, as it allows different individuals to adapt to different environmental conditions.
But why is this happening more rapidly than in the past?
Well, for one thing, we are changing our environment more dramatically and more quickly than ever before. Think about it:
technology, urbanization, and climate change have altered the planet at a pace no species has ever experienced.
These changes are forcing us to adapt in new ways, and some people are better equipped genetically to handle them than others.
According to Curnoe, evolution is about more than just survival of the fittest in the traditional sense.
It’s about adapting to new environments, and today, humans are exposed to new challenges all the time.
We’re no longer constrained by the same natural forces that shaped our ancestors.
Instead, we face social, technological, and environmental pressures that act as new selective forces, guiding which traits are favored for survival and reproduction.
Evolution Isn’t Just About Survival: It’s About Adaptation to a Changing World
Take a look at how modern medicine and agriculture have dramatically reshaped human evolution.
For example, our ancestors didn’t live long enough to face many of the diseases that plague modern humans.
But now, with advances in medicine and sanitation, we’re seeing how certain genetic traits allow people to thrive despite facing new and emerging diseases.
Scientists estimate that more than 70% of genetic variation and 90% of disease-related genes in human populations can be traced back to the past 5,000 to 10,000 years—and much of this has been driven by agriculture.
When humans shifted from being hunter-gatherers to farmers, it triggered a massive shift in the environmental conditions people had to face.
With agriculture came new diets, new diseases, and new ways of living, all of which put selective pressure on our genes.
Think about the many genetic adaptations that have emerged in response to these changes.
In some populations, for instance, humans have developed the ability to digest lactose in adulthood—something our ancestors couldn’t do.
In other places, the ability to resist malaria has given certain groups a major advantage, allowing them to survive in environments where the disease is rampant.
These are just two examples of how humans have evolved rapidly in response to a shifting environment.
The Acceleration of Human Evolution: The Impact of Modern Technology
One of the most fascinating aspects of human evolution today is how technology is influencing the pace of our evolution.
While we often think of evolution as a slow process, modern humans are seeing rapid genetic changes due to the way we interact with technology.
Advances in medicine, artificial selection through genetic engineering, and even the growth of global networks are changing what it means to be human in fundamental ways.
Take, for example, the gene-editing technology CRISPR.
This revolutionary tool allows scientists to edit genes directly, potentially correcting genetic disorders before they even manifest.
With such technology, we could be on the brink of dramatically changing the course of human evolution.
While the full ramifications of gene editing are still unknown, it’s clear that human evolution is no longer confined to natural processes.
We are actively shaping our future, sometimes in ways that would have been unimaginable to our ancestors.
Another key technological influence is the rise of globalization.
As more people move across the planet and interact with others from different parts of the world, we are witnessing the mixing of genes on an unprecedented scale.
Over generations, this could lead to the emergence of entirely new genetic combinations, further accelerating our evolution.
Evolution Today: New Genetic Mutations and the Birth of a New Species?
So, what does this all mean for the future of the human race?
Could our fast-paced evolution lead to the creation of a new species of human?
Some scientists argue that we are on the cusp of such a transition.
With the rapid appearance of rare genetic mutations today, some believe that we could see a shift so significant that it leads to the development of humans who look and behave quite differently from us.
This idea may sound dramatic, but it’s supported by mounting evidence.
As Curnoe explains, some of the genetic changes we’re experiencing could, over time, lead to a new species of human, one that has adapted to the new pressures of a changing world. What might these new humans look like?
Will they have different physical traits, better resistance to diseases, or even new cognitive abilities?
While it’s too early to say exactly how this might unfold, the mere possibility is a game-changer.
Just imagine: humans living in the not-too-distant future might be biologically different from us, not in millennia, but in just a few thousand years.
This could mean that evolution is, in a sense, happening faster than ever before, thanks to both natural and technological forces.
Challenging the Idea That We’ve Stopped Evolving
But wait—aren’t we living in an era where we’ve essentially conquered evolution?
After all, we no longer face the same dangers and survival challenges our ancestors did. Medicine, technology, and modern life have insulated us from the harsh conditions that would have once dictated our evolution.
So, it’s easy to assume that we’ve “stopped” evolving.
However, as we’ve seen, this assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.
The reality is that evolution is an ongoing process, and it’s happening right now.
The environment may have changed, but the fundamental principles of natural selection and genetic adaptation remain as powerful as ever.
In fact, modern society has introduced a host of new challenges that are accelerating evolution, not slowing it down.
Rather than “freezing” the evolutionary process, our ability to manipulate the environment—through technology, agriculture, and medicine—has simply shifted the way evolution happens.
The Future of Evolution: What’s Next for Humanity?
As we look to the future, it’s clear that humanity’s evolutionary path is anything but predictable.
While we can’t know exactly what the future holds, one thing is certain: we are still evolving.
Whether it’s in response to new diseases, technological advances, or environmental pressures, the process of natural selection is still at work.
So, the next time someone tells you that humans have stopped evolving, remind them that we’re evolving faster than ever—we just might not look the same in the future.
Our descendants could be living in a world vastly different from the one we know, and it’s entirely possible that their biology will reflect that dramatic shift.
The only question is: how much faster will we evolve, and where will it take us?
For now, we can only watch as evolution unfolds before our eyes, faster than we ever imagined. And who knows?
Maybe the next phase of human evolution is already here.
