When we ponder about human evolution, our minds wander back to the thousands of years it took natural selection to produce the modern-day man but truth is: humans are still evolving and we're doing so even faster than before!
Here are four signs that show humans are continuing to evolve:
1- We're Losing Our Wisdom Teeth:
We consume nowadays, using utensils, softer meals than that of our ancestors and our jaws are much smaller as a result, which impacts wisdom teeth — there just isn't room for them.
One estimate says 35% of the population is born without wisdom teeth, and some even say they will disappear altogether.
2- We're Resisting Diseases:
1,800 genes -many of which are devoted to fighting infectious diseases like malaria- have only become prevalent in humans in the last 40,000 years, a group of researchers found in 2007.
Another study also found that living in cities has produced a genetic variant that allows us to be more resistant to diseases like leprosy and tuberculosis.
3- Our Brains Are Shrinking:
Our brains have been shrinking over the last 30,000 years. Their volume has decreased in a way that is equivalent to a chunk the size of a tennis ball.
Some researchers suspect our shrinking brains mean we are in fact getting dumber. But others have come up with a more encouraging theory, saying our brains are shrinking because smaller brains are more efficient.
There's also a theory that smaller brains are an evolutionary advantage since they make us less aggressive, allowing us to work together to settle problems, rather than tear each other to shreds.
4- We Have Blue Eyes:
Originally, we all had brown eyes but about 10,000 years ago, someone who lived near the Black Sea developed a genetic mutation that turned brown eyes blue.
While the reason blue eyes have persisted remains a bit of a mystery, one theory suggests they act as a sort of paternity test.