The human race is clearly devolving overall as a species. Although technology allows more access to information and our culture drives our IQ’s through the roof compared to our ancient bretheren, it is only the technology that has brought us there.
Although technology outpaces this slow slide in our evolution it is clearly visible in several examples. Our sight is a part where most of us have devolved from our historic ancestors. Yes, there are still many people that boast perfect 20/20 or higher vision, but there is a multitude more that wear glasses, contacts or have surgery to fix their failing eyesight. In the wild, where our ancestors played there was no eyewear, therefore the ones with poor vision (I included) would promptly be eaten by predators unseen until they where in our face. Although this attribute is an important sensory organ to survive in the wilderness, it is next to useless for intensive survival purposes. Sunburn is another example of how we have slowly devolved into a maladapted species. We sunburn due to our exposure to intense UV rays from the sun for a prolonged period of time. If we where stuck outside for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Most people would be red as a lobster within at the most the first day. With severe sunburn, or sunpoisoning, comes a direct and severe risk of infection or worse from the environment as blisters form revealing premature, and sensitive skin that only burns more easily. There would be no chance of survival for a prehistoric man with severe sunburn, the environment would destroy him as the sun continually pounded him with UV rays as various diseases seeped through the blisters and puss of what used to be a protective layer of skin.
Although phsically we are devolving, our progression and advancement in technology has led many into believing the false statement that we have evolved above our predecessors. This falsity is arisen from people becoming stronger due to steroids/body supplements, sensory organs improving by technological attachments, and our IQs steadily rising due to the increase in our overall knowledge base and impressive breakthroughs in the educational process. With these technological breakthroughs we have artifically evolved ourselves; as long as we can sustain our present culture. With the loss of technology many would be hardpressed to survive. With weakened vision, and other physical decreases many would find it impossible to survive.
Another fact is we are slowly devolving by the current breeding trends of our planet. Poorer couples without access to any modern forms of birth control tend to have a higher number of children. While more financially stable or upper class citizens tend to have less children. Although this does not always hold true, no stereotypes ever hold 100%, less financially successful people tend to have lower IQ’s then the upper class citizens. Although this is a harsh statement, unfortunately, it holds fairly true. With more children being born with a predisposition to a lower overall IQ, and usually a lack of good education and higher education, a greater percent of the population is of a slightly lower IQ. This could just hold true until demographics change and things begin to improve for the lower class. But this could be the start of an alarming trend that suggests a slow slide into lower IQ ranges.
As we have seen in the past, technology improves our mental and physical abilities, but without the highly advanced technological breakthroughs, we have devolved and our natural mental and physical abilities have been diminished as we continue to live in the lap of luxury where survival is about your ability to work at a desk, and go to the supermarket, instead of feeding your family by your ability to hunt. With all evolutionary pushes from the environment gone, where is the drive for a continuation of evolution?
