Can current environment effect “natural selection”?
Modern technology most certantly has changed the forces of natural selection. For example, modern medicine has eliminated many of the diseases which used to kill off millions. You can look at the human genome and you’ll find mutations that help protect us against diseases such as malaria, cholera, etc. Today, at least in developed nation, selection for these resistance genes no longer exists. The same could be said about mutations which are otherwise bad – PKU gene for example. In fact, some people argue that humans are no longer evolving as our technology has overcome all selection. Except, perhaps, the selection against the most deleterious mutations. Personally speaking, I would argue that the above concept is flawed at a fundamental level – although human technology has most certantly altered selection, it still exists. People often forget that selection doesn’t just mean killing off those who aren’t well evolved, but also can drive the successful breeding of those who are well evo
