The Effects of Human Intervention on Evolution

Paper Summary:

This paper provides an overview of evolutionary thought and discusses how mankind has impacted the evolutionary cycle of the Earth and its creatures.

Introduction
Overview of Evolution
The Original Frontier
Man's Effect on Evolutionary Trends Through Genetic Bottlenecks
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Perhaps the most baffling aspect of evolution is the way in which mankind is viewed by many people as somehow being separate and apart from the evolutionary cycle -- perhaps because of the universal perception of man's soul. However, we are inextricably linked into the Gaia process; we all live on a planet whose cycles and processes result in changes in climate and geographic terrain; changes in circadian patterns and changes in food and other resources. Therefore, it is impossible to separate man from nature, just as it is impossible to separate mankind from the evolutionary process. In other words, a definition of "evolution" must include anything, good or bad, that mankind does to our environment as being part of the natural selection process. To the extent that plants and animals are able to adapt to a changing environment is the extent to which that species will survive and thrive. This changing environment can be created by any natural force: changes in climatic conditions as a result of ice ages ebbing and flowing, changes in terrain as a result of earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, etc., and indeed, acts of man."

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