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Are humans still evolving? What is evolution? The change of a species over time. This change through random variation and natural selection has lead to the diversity of life on Earth. What is natural selection? Natural selection is the process by which heritable traits that make it more likely for an organism to survive and successfully reproduce become more common in a population over successive generations. Natural selection has been the main mechanism by which evolution has happened. Geoffrey Miller, University of New Mexico “In the future humans will be more beautiful, intelligent, symmetrical, healthy and emotionally stable due to 40 generations of genetic engineering and screening” Steve Jones, University College London “Human evolution is over. Human social change often changes our genetic future. In ancient times half our children would have died by the age of twenty. Now, in the western world, 98% of them are surviving to 21” Scientific controversy The scientific community is undecided over the future of human evolution. Scientists have a range of varying opinions on the future of human evolution. Human social and environmental change In the last 40,000 years humans have changed the environment significantly which has influenced natural selection pressures on us. Activity Is natural selection still influencing human evolution? Task one: Read out the statements and decide whether it supports the idea that natural selection is still influencing human evolution? Activity Task two: In your group identify the key features that influence our present evolution? Activity Task three: Decide in your groups the key future characteristics of humans? If you want to find out more? Are human beings still evolving? Gresham College Lecture. Speaker Professor Christopher Dye. http://www.gresham.ac.uk/event.asp?PageId=45&Ev entId=853 Are we still evolving? 2006, By Kate Douglas. New Scientist www.newscientist.com/article/mg18925421.300-arewe-still-evolving.html