Are humans evolving?

[sparow]

No, the mystics were not at all influenced by Darwin. The mystics believe in achieving a direct, personal encounter with God, a transcendental experience. I don't know about the TV show you saw. I am simply pointing out that "evolution" fist appears in a sacred context.

The Latin word evolutio preceded the English word evolution and both preceded Darwin who preceded the nineteenth century so yours cannot be the first usage.

 

[Hoghead1]

The Latin word evolutio preceded the English word evolution and both preceded Darwin who preceded the nineteenth century so yours cannot be the first usage.

No, that isn't correct. The term "evolution" was first introduced as a theological and soteriological one by she theosophists. It first appeared in an article by Baader on evolutionism and revolutionism or positive and negative evolution of life in general, in the Bayerische Annalen, Vol. 28, 219-224. See E. Benz, "The Mystical Sources of German Romantic Philosophy," pp. 49-50. It may come from Latin; however, it was not in general usage until the 18th-19th century theosophists came along.

 

[Robert Palase]

Or is evolution a myth when it comes to human beings?

Evolution is not a myth it is a fact, what you have been told to believe has nothing to do with what is true, we are animals so what is true for all animals is just as true for us.

Which part of us tells you we do not belong to the ape family, our brains?

 

[PsychoSarah]

No, the mystics were not at all influenced by Darwin. The mystics believe in achieving a direct, personal encounter with God, a transcendental experience. I don't know about the TV show you saw. I am simply pointing out that "evolution" fist appears in a sacred context.

The first way a word was used is irrelevant to following uses that are unrelated to that use. Context matters too. If I call someone a "boob", would you say I was calling them a female breast, or an idiot, and does which use of the word came first matter at all?

 

[OldWiseGuy]

8 million years of development isn't that "sudden" to me.
Maybe on geological timescale.

When did man fully become 'modern' man?

 

[Robert Palase]

When did man fully become 'modern' man?

Man has always been 'modern man' ever since he climbed out of the trees, he has been bang up to date everyday from then until now.

 

[DogmaHunter]

When did man fully become 'modern' man?

When did Spanish become fully 'modern' Spanish, if it evolved from Latin?

There is no fixed point. There is no line one can draw where we can say that it is generation 1 of Homo sapiens, while the direct parents where not homo sapiens.

That's kind of the thing with gradualism. For example...

What is the first fully blue word in this text?

 

[Loudmouth]

When did man fully become 'modern' man?

As mentioned by others, that is going to be an arbitrary time in history. When scientists describe "modern man" they use the term "anatomically modern human". One of the features I often look for when looking at human fossils is the chin. Anatomically modern humans have a forward facing process on their chin that isn't present in earlier humans. In colloquial terms, non-modern humans could not have a cleft chin.

Take a look at the front edge of the lower jaw for both of these skulls. If you go to the skull on the right and follow the line from the teeth and down along the front of the lower jaw, notice how it goes forward. Notice how that same feature is not present on the skull on the left. That is one of the minor differences that differentiates a modern human from an earlier human, but it is one that is easy to pick up on.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

As mentioned by others, that is going to be an arbitrary time in history. When scientists describe "modern man" they use the term "anatomically modern human". One of the features I often look for when looking at human fossils is the chin. Anatomically modern humans have a forward facing process on their chin that isn't present in earlier humans. In colloquial terms, non-modern humans could not have a cleft chin.

Take a look at the front edge of the lower jaw for both of these skulls. If you go to the skull on the right and follow the line from the teeth and down along the front of the lower jaw, notice how it goes forward. Notice how that same feature is not present on the skull on the left. That is one of the minor differences that differentiates a modern human from an earlier human, but it is one that is easy to pick up on.

Did this characteristic chin appear gradually or suddenly. It does give the skull a rather dignified appearance doesn't it?

 

[Loudmouth]

Did this characteristic chin appear gradually or suddenly. It does give the skull a rather dignified appearance doesn't it?

I wouldn't be surprised if it came about suddenly, in geological terms. If memory serves, a strong chin is also considered an attractive feature for both men and women, which is interesting.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I wouldn't be surprised if it came about suddenly, in geological terms. If memory serves, a strong chin is also considered an attractive feature for both men and women, which is interesting.

Perhaps God has such a chin.

 

[Loudmouth]

Perhaps God has such a chin.

Since humans tend to give human features to the deities they invent, it wouldn't be surprising.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Since humans tend to give human features to the deities they invent, it wouldn't be surprising.

And all this time I though God invented us.

 

[Armoured]

While humans are obviously the result of evolution, we've done such a good job of removing natural selection pressures that we're almost certainly not evolving any more. At least, certainly not in the "natural selection " sense. We are still very much subject to artificial selection, and possibly to disastrous effect, if the dysgenecists are right.