Darwin-L Message Log 5:138 (January 1994)

Academic Discussion on the History and Theory of the Historical Sciences

This is one message from the Archives of Darwin-L (1993–1997), a professional discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.

Note: Additional publications on evolution and the historical sciences by the Darwin-L list owner are available on SSRN.

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<5:138>From azlerner@midway.uchicago.edu  Tue Jan 25 13:22:46 1994

Date: Tue, 25 Jan 94 13:30:23 CST
From: "asia z lerner" <azlerner@midway.uchicago.edu>
To: darwin-l@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Re: intro and tools

	By the way, I agree with the statement of Arlen Carey. Why does the advent
	of tool use somehow mysteriously stop evolution. Why must humans be put on
	some superorganic pedestal?  If gene frequencies are changing evolution is
	occurring.  We now are adapting to a technologically modified environment,
	but the basic mechanisms of evolution still work.
	Michael S. Alvard, Ph.D.

If you notice the different birth rate in the technologically developped West
and the less developped third world, you'll see that there's a problem with the
assumption that "the basic mechanisms of evolution still work", since it seems
to be the case that successfully adapting to technological change _lowers_ a
society's procreative capacities. This is probably a similar problem to the
one noted by turn of the century Social Darwinists - those whom we concider
successfull in society [or those nations whom we concider "successfull" on
the global scale] are not those who procreate most.

Asia

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