Environment

Challenges Outpacing Human Evolution

A new study warns that humankind has now reached an evolutionary paradox—not evolving fast enough to adapt to the environmental changes it’s causing while at the same time being unable to control the constantly evolving pests and diseases that threaten its survival.

Writing in the online Science Express, a team of international scientists argues that new evolutionary thinking is necessary to address these challenges.

“Evolutionary biology is often overlooked in the study of global challenges,” said lead author Scott Carroll of the University of California, Davis.

“By looking at humanity’s problems across the domains of nature conservation, food production and human health, it is clear that we need to strengthen evolutionary biology throughout the disciplines and develop a shared language among them,” Carroll added.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Australian-American Fulbright Commission.