Our Evolution explained

By    John Garner on  Monday, July 24, 2006
Summary: There is a fascinating article about human evolution at the washingtonpost.com that explains how human genome research has helped understand specific changes in the human DNA around the world : Europeans seem to be adapting to the increased availability of dairy products, with genetic changes that allow the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose in […]

There is a fascinating article about human evolution at the washingtonpost.com that explains how human genome research has helped understand specific changes in the human DNA around the world :

Europeans seem to be adapting to the increased availability of dairy products, with genetic changes that allow the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose in milk, to be available throughout life, not just in infancy. Similarly, East Asians show genetic changes that affect the metabolism of the sugar sucrose, while the Yoruba people in sub-Saharan Africa show genetic changes that alter how they metabolize the sugar mannose.

This quote hit home with me since I sometimes feel I'm the odd one out with everybody being really intent on a 'nice tan'. Frying under the sun is not something I really participate in that much :

Europeans, for example, show strong changes over the past 10,000 years in genes that affect skin color -- as humans moved into northern Europe, where there was less ultraviolet light, there was a strong evolutionary advantage to having lighter skin to allow in more ultraviolet light, which is needed to synthesize Vitamin D.

I find it incredible to read information about myself that is so profound, you've really got to love Internet for that...

The impact we have on our environment is a hot debate. Scientists, like those that lead research into human evolution quoted in the article, have alerted us to the disastrous effect we have and are having on the world and environment we live in. It seems that our body is far more intelligent than we thought. It is adapting to these occasionally drastic changes. I’m not sure whether the idea of our bodies adapting to the decrease in physical exercise and the increase in food consumption is good. Turning that trend around might be a far better idea !

On a humorous note (which can be expected over at blogjam.com) there may be a solution to the English hangover issues. This is not really evolutionary since the English have been drinking for a long time and this hasn’t really changed much, LOL 😉 As explained above it seems a good idea since it also takes into account the evolution of Europeans with the availability of the enzyme lactase!

Article written by  John Garner

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

3 comments on “Our Evolution explained”

  1. Thanks for the info on that paper I had tried looking for a reference to it in Google.

    For those of you who have more than a passing interest in the evolution subject I suggest you take a look at John Latter's site Evolution Research.

    John

Recent Posts

Check out the most recent posts from the blog: 
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
The ONHT Framework for Intermediate users

This Intermediate Guide for the ONHT (Objective, Needs, How, Trajectory) Framework transforms you from someone who uses GenAI into someone who thinks with GenAI by adding the missing cognitive functions that current GenAI lacks. The framework works through three critical pillars – Empathy (understanding all stakeholders), Critical Thinking (challenging assumptions), and Human in the Loop (active partnership). Master these patterns and you'll be solving complex problems others can't even approach, becoming indispensable by designing interactions that produce exceptional results rather than just functional outputs.

Read More
Monday, June 16, 2025
The ONHT Framework: Beginners Guide

Stop getting generic AI responses. Learn the four-letter framework that transforms vague requests into precise results. The ONHT framework: Objective (what problem you're solving), Needs (key information that matters), How (the thinking approach), and Trajectory (clear steps to the answer), teaches you to think WITH AI, not through it, turning "analyse customer feedback" into board-ready insights. Real examples show how adding context and structure gets you from Level 1 basics to Level 3 mastery, where AI delivers exactly what you need.
The difference? Knowing how to ask.

Read More
Sunday, June 15, 2025
The ONHT Framework: GenAI Prompting Solutions That Actually Work for People

GenAI tools are transforming work, but most people get poor results because they don't understand how to communicate with AI built on structured data. This guide is a series of articles that teaches the ONHT framework—a systematic approach to prompting that transforms vague requests into exceptional outputs by focusing on Objectives (what problem), Needs (what information), How (thinking approach), and Trajectory (path to solution). Master this framework and develop an expert mindset grounded in human-in-the-loop thinking, critical analysis, and empathy, and you'll excel with any AI tool, at any company, in any role.

Read More
Sunday, September 24, 2023
The reliability & accuracy of GenAI

I question the reliability and accuracy of Generative AI (GenAI) in enterprise scenarios, particularly when faced with adversarial questions, highlighting that current Large Language Models (LLMs) may be data-rich but lack in reasoning and causality. I would call for a more balanced approach to AI adoption in cases of assisting users, requiring supervision, and the need for better LLM models that can be trusted, learn, and reason.

Read More
crossmenuarrow-down