Are we sure that the evolution of man are still the genes? Second Timothy Waring And Zachary Woodtwo researchers from the University of Maine, the answer is no. In a study published in the magazine Biosciencethe two authors propose a hypothesis that is making people discuss: Culture would have now overcome genetics in determining the direction of human evolution.
This is not just a theoretical reflection: cultural changes, today, They modify our lives, our bodies and our companies much faster than genetic mutations. And this could mark the beginning of a new phase of our evolutionary history.
Glasses, Cesarei, Internet: culture finds solutions where genetics does not arrive
The responses to problems no longer come only from DNA, but from shared tools and knowledge. And this changes everything.
The researchers explain that Culture acts as a fast adaptation systemcapable of dealing with environmental and social challenges very quickly. Take for example the eyeglasses: a person with vision problems, in the past, would have had more difficulty in surviving or contributing to the community. Today, however, a simple cultural object compensates for that “genetic defect”.
Same goes for i Cesarei parts or the vaccinations: cultural interventions that allow those who, from a genetic point of view, would be more fragile, to live and thrive.
According to Wood,
Culture is guiding evolution at a rhythm that genes cannot support.
A rhythm that does not only concern technology, but everything related to the organization of society.
The human being is transforming itself into a social “superorganism”
We are not talking about science fiction: cooperation between individuals could become our new “evolutionary strategy”
Waring and Wood advance a fascinating hypothesis: The human being would be evolving from individualistic species to collective specieswhere survival depends more and more on the strength of the groups. Just as it happens for ants, bees or termitewho live in extremely organized and interdependent communities.
Unlike DNA, which is transmitted passively from parents to their children, the culture is learned activelythrough behaviors, imitation, language and personal choices. It is not just a legacy: it is something that we decide to adopt, adapt and transmit.
That’s why Cultural systems such as public school, health, justice or technological networks become central in our evolution. Not only do they help us to live better, but directly influence who we are and who we can become.
From biology to culture: the future of evolution has already begun
Technologies, medicine and social choices are already influencing how we reproduce ourselves and how we will live in some generation
If we think about medically assisted procreationtogenetic editing or even just toUse of social networkswe realize that we are already experiencing cultural systems that they shape our biology directly.
According to Waring, we could soon find ourselves in a world where Cultural decisions will also influence how we evolveperhaps more than the genes themselves. It is a scenario that opens to many questions: How much control will we have on evolutionary choices? And what will the risks be?
Culture does not mean progress for everyone: the danger of global inequalities
Cultural evolution can go in many directions, not all positive. And not all accessible in the same way
Wood immediately clarifies a fundamental point:
We are not saying that the most technological companies are better. Culture can evolve into positive or negative directions. And above all, not everyone has access to the same cultural tools.
If evolution depends more and more on cultural systems, then it becomes even more urgent to guarantee fair access to health, education, technology and information. Otherwise we risk creating new forms of exclusion, which will be reflected not only on living conditions, but also on our evolution as a species.
For this the researchers are working on mathematical models To monitor this change, understand where it is bringing us and how we can manage it in a sustainable way.
As Waring concludes,
Our future could depend less on the genes that we inherit, and much more on the cultural systems that we choose to build.
