Question: Will humans evolve any more?

Laura Durrant answered on 16 Jun 2020:

Hi Rowena, great question! In short yes – humans are constantly adapting to new surroundings and environments. It may not seem obvious, but as we inhabit a world that is continuously changing, our genetics change along side it in order to adapt and survive. This is a process called natural selection. This is a very important process, as it expands something called the ‘gene pool’ (this is the total collection and frequency of genes shared among the human population). This ensures that as humans reproduce, the amount of genetic variation increases. The more genetic variation, the more chance humans will pass on genes that encode for adaptive characteristics. Take the current COVID-19 situation as an example; those who have been infected and survived the virus could then pass on these new adapted genes onto their offspring. This would increase the possibility of that person’s children being less susceptible to the virus. It’s a very hypothetical example, but I hope it demonstrates what I mean! 🙂