Re: Interesting article on evolution
Our selection pressures are different than what they used to be, but they haven't gone away.
Blind people, who would have had far less success in the past, now usually do find a mate and have children. But there are still other maladies of genetics which do not pass on as frequently. People with genetically determined mental handicaps are generally not allowed to have children by their care givers.
The same of paralyzing diseases and maladies.
The fact that so many survive to have children now means that the selective pressures are no longer "coding" for enhanced survivability traits. It is no longer necessary to be an athlete, an intellectual, or even a team player to survive. So instead of honing those traits, sort of everything goes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesticated_silver_foxCheck out the above link. It's an experiment i saw where they have been breeding silver foxes for fifty years in russia for human tolerance. But that was the only selective pressure. So, as a result, they are getting all kinds of interesting and some would say beautiful fur colorations. Things wildly outside the normal run of silver fox tones, because those fur colorations which are important in the wild, are a side effect in captivity.
The sole breeding selection is tolerance of humans, so things like bright white, totally non-camoflauge coats can be allowed to flourish.
I think something similar is happening with people due to the ability of the whole, to carry the few sick, infirm, or disabled into a comfortable life where they can pass on their genes.
I haven't spotted a specific trend (except fatness, perhaps), but i don't think we could say that humanity has stopped evolving.
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