Modern Humans Still Evolving, and Faster Than Ever
22:49 minutes
For those who think the forces of natural selection no longer apply to modern humans, paleoanthropologist John Hawks would urge you to reconsider. In recent times—that’s 10 to 20 thousand years, for a paleoanthropologist—Hawks says we’ve picked up genetic variations in skin color, and other traits that allow us to break down starch and digest cheese.
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John Hawks
John Hawks is a paleoanthropologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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@cintagliataChristopher Intagliata was Science Friday’s senior producer. He once served as a prop in an optical illusion and speaks passable Ira Flatowese.