BBC Focus Magazine

[Thewestguy1]

Personally I believe it would be difficult for the 'next step' to occur as for a new step to occur the other previous steps will have to die out due to natural selection, but since society is the way it is, this will be difficult, there may be a few of those with say extended thumbs and yes they may breed and there's a chance that there may be a large amount of people with this mutation but the current step will live on and keep on breeding, so the only real chance we have is for the current step to be wiped out, perhaps some sort of mega virus could spread and wipe out all of mankind, and then say there's a new mutation that is immune to this virus, and may also have another sort of mutation, this will live on and it may breed with other superior beings and so starts a new race, but the chances of this are very slim.

[Lateralman]

With global warming and sea level rise, we are certain to evolve webbed feet and gills next. Thus ending the debate on whether or not we were once, aquatic apes!

[MikeG]

Personally, I believe that evolution has screeched to a halt in humans. People with bad hearts get a transplant, diabetes sufferers have insulin, the mentally infirm are provided for and reproduce. There is no more "thinning of the herd" as SW put it. Technology has benefitted everyone, good genes or bad. Evolution from this point on will be driven from the lab with gene therapy, and DNA manipulation. Soon, we will all be blonde, blue eyed, and have a IQ of 220. Everyone will have perfectly functioning bodies, enhanced by technological implants.

[M Paul Lloyd]

I'm inclined to agree MikeG, we do tend to adapt our environment to suit our needs thus negating any evolutionary driving force. Even if, as Lateralman suggests, sea levels do rise I'm pretty sure we will find ways around the problem rather than returning to the sea.............. although I don't quite understand why gills would necessarily be an obvious evolutionary trait? Surely we would go along the aquatic mammal Dolphin lines rather than make the huge jump to becoming a type of Fish??

[Shadowwolf]

With global warming and sea level rise, we are certain to evolve webbed feet and gills next.

As Mr M points out, even were we in a more watery environment we're going to adapt it and our way of living to it, we're not going to be left in a situation where we are required to spend long periods under water unassisted. Even were this somehow required we'd tend to select for increased lung capacity and time below like other diving mammals and not a complete change in breathing apparatus, thus evolving gills is highly improbable.

Webbed feet already exist for some folks but unless it's conferring an advantage then it's not going to become a common trait. But as has been pointed out we're well beyond the point where we're beholden to what configuration is more successful at passing on those genes. Unless we're cast back into stone age situation then we're going to fix our way out of problems and not live under survival of the fittest.

Everyone will have perfectly functioning bodies, enhanced by technological implants.

Unless we have some radical shift in societal ordering then I'd reckon that any such technology if available will be mostly confined to the more affluent sectors of society, or what your employment may require. So those people will have the perfectly or appropriately functioning bodies. Mind you, every time some one mentions technologically enhanced bodies I keep coming up with a society of people appropriately tooled up for their specific jobs, diligently and silently working in unison whilst linked into a networked system that efficiently manages everyone and maximises their time and effort.

Soon, we will all be blonde, blue eyed, and have a IQ of 220.

Tend to be partial to red or raven haired with hazel or green eyes myself.