Human evolution (Research Paper Sample)

Evolution of the human race
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Institution
Evolution of the Human Race
Every time the topic of human evolution crops up, our minds meander back to the many millenniums it took to produce modern man through natural selection. Further research carried out around the field of anthropology divulges that despite an expansion in modern technology and industrialization, humans still evolve. According to Winston (2004), a misapprehension among numerous people is that evolution transpired many years ago and in order to comprehend them, they must go back to the hunters and gatherers days of humans. This research paper seeks to assess whether evolution of the human race is still going on.
Researchers prove the fact that humans still drink milk is among one of the determinants that evolution still takes place (Hawks, 2011). Historically, there was a shut down in the genes, which regulated the ability of humans to digest lactose after they were detached from their mother’s breast milk. When humans domesticated cows, sheep, goats, and they began to drink milk, those with genetic mutations, which allowed them to digest lactose, were able to multiply their genes. Studies reveal that the tolerance for lactose was still developing over 30 centuries ago in East Africa. The genetic mutation, which helps digest milk, is now in more than 90 percent of European descendants (Bandit, 2006).
An additional determinant of human evolution is the loss of wisdom teeth. According to Nardo (2005), former ancestors had jaws bigger than current human species. This helped them in chewing tough diets comprising nuts, roots and leaves. The meat they ate was torn apart with their teeth, which weakened the teeth. The wisdom teeth were molars, which were found to be an evolutionary answer, which helped, accommodate the eating habits of our ancestors. In the current times, food is cut using utensils and the meals are softer and easy to chew. The meals are also softer and chewable and thus the human jaws are significantly smaller. The wisdom teeth have become vestigial organs similar to the appendix since there is no room for them.
Hawks (2012), in his study further unveils more findings to support the continuity of human evolution. One of the unsurpassed examples is a study on evolution conducted in 2007, where the researchers unearthed 1,800 genes which have become prevalent in the last forty centuries and are dedicated to fighting infectious diseases such as malaria. The disease targets humans early in life and due to this; strong pressure was exerted to evolve defenses against malaria. A variety of examples has come up showing defenses against malaria. Sickle Cell anemia is the most commonly known where this disorder deforms red blood cells into sickle shapes. These can impair blood flow and bring damages to tissues. This defect prevents the parasite causing malaria from infesting the blood cells. Living in the large...