Children Of Prometheus: The Accelerating Pace Of Human Evolution

by Wills Christopher

Ever since Darwin published The Descent of Man , we have wondered about the future of our species. Will we separate into H.G. Wells's Morlocks and Eloi, or will we stay pretty much the same? Biologist Christopher Wills tackles this big question in Children of Prometheus , claiming that yes, indeed we are changing in significant ways, despite assertions by many scientists to the contrary. Evolution can be seen as an improvisational dance performed by DNA and the environment--each equal partners until just a geological moment ago, when one species--ours--began to have a profound impact on the environment, changing everything. Wills describes how we have indirectly slowed, sped up, or stopped (through extinction) the evolution of many species, and suggests that our environmental manipulations are accelerating the rate at which we ourselves are changing with each generation. His lucid explanations of evolutionary mechanisms and heritability studies greatly help non-technical readers grasp his points, but even professional scientists will benefit from his review of the psychogenetic literature. In the end, Children of Prometheus can't tell us what our distant descendents will look like; we can only look in a mirror and wonder how they will differ. --Rob Lightner

Genres: Science, Evolution, Biology, Nonfiction, Genetics

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 23, 1998

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wills sheds his bright and steady light on some thorny questions: what is the nature of the difference between humans and our animal relatives? What is the nature of evolution in modern society? What mechanisms of evolution caused our path to diverge so widely from other animals?

With a cool scientific mind and very light wit Wills guides us through the mechanisms of evolution in imagined jungles past, with early humans, and into the present. He even casts his imagination toward the future, reminding us that selective pressure will always shape the future of our species.

The message I take away from this lovely book, a few days after I've finished it and the technical details have faded from my memory, is that genetic diversity is important. For a species to survive, it must have a broad range of genetic choices within the gene pool to select for or against. And racist prognostications notwithstanding, we are not getting dumber as a species. In fact, due to better prenatal early childhood health our brains are suffering less damage than ever before.

Really a fantastic book-- one that whets my appetite for more information, and shoves me along to ask more questions and understand the processes and implications of human evolution.

[Jef · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asks the question, 'are humans still evolving?' and then answers with a resounding 'yes!'.

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! Brought about new perspectives.

[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lots of claims, flimsy supporting evidence. I didn't enjoy the writing style.

[JP · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't finish -- some interesting parallels but a bland, repetitive presentation with little original content. It doesn't stretch one's thinking and it doesn't make a very clear case.