Has Evolution Stopped?

Has Evolution Stopped??

For those who don’t know me, evolution is one of my favorite subjects. Not any debate about it, for no “REAL” debate has existed for more than 40 years now, but just the pure, simple, truth of it. It has been suggested that natural selection has joined prime numbers as the true universal language.

In 2007, I almost retch at the need to make this preface. But here goes.

1) The theory of evolution has been proven 1000's of times over. It is accepted as fact in the scientific community. The only ones who try to disparage it as speculation are the fear mongering, hate pushing, children of pure evil who are VERY afraid of losing their tax free billions to a small nugget of actual truth.

2) If you hear anyone begin a discussion of “Evolution” and it begins with the words “Humans” and “Monkeys” in the same sentence. They are clueless and should be avoided. If you can’t avoid them, slap them. HARD. Try to get the heel of your palm involved. Hopefully you will dislodge the “stupid” factor.

So, if you are still reading, I will guess you are in the small percentage of intelligent people who know the truth.


Sooooooo….. Here is what is troubling me this evening. This isn’t a new theory, and I forget who’s shoulders I am standing on. But I wanted to throw it out anyway……

Here is the question-

Did evolution stop for humans with the advent of speech and written word?

That sounds a bit odd on its face, but when you really think about it, it makes perfect sense.

All evolution happens by selection pressure. Remove that pressure, evolution stops. Generally when it stops, either the creature is at a very stable, near perfect level, or it goes extinct. Most of the ones who make it are top level predators of some sort.

So how does speech figure into this?

Lets go back pre-speech. A group of hominids are living an a valley. There are red berries in the valley and a very steep cliff that drops to very sharp rocks. Over time, selection pressure will favor those who have a predisposition to avoid the berries and the cliff. Or it will favor those who have an immunity to the berries. Either way, the environment will shape the inhabitants to better survive in it.

Enter speech and later writing. Now, smart hominid sees someone die from the red berries. Dumb hominid sees the same thing. But dumb hominid later gets hungry and the red berries are close. He walks toward the bush, and smart hominid says “Hey, Dummy, don’t eat those, you’ll Die”. Dumb hominid doesn’t eat them, lives, reproduces a bunch more dumb hominids and the crafting ability of selection pressure is removed.

Later, written word allows the same thing to happen, but the knowledge bringer doesn’t even have to be present.

Something to think about.

For more on the subject read Richard Dawkins “The Selfish Gene” and “The Blind Watchmaker”


Xtian