As little as a few hundred years ago, the same was true for humans, but what about now? Each genome contains all of the information needed to build that organism and allow it to grow and develop. In biology, evolution is the change in the characteristics of a species over several generations and relies on the process of natural selection. Inheritance is the process by which genetic information is passed on from parent to child.
This is why members of the same family tend to have similar characteristics. The human brain, in all its staggering complexity, is the product of millions of years of evolution. Genetic variation is a term used to describe the variation in the DNA sequence in each of our genomes.
Genetic variation is what makes us all unique, whether in terms of hair colour, skin colour or even the shape of our faces. If you have any other comments or suggestions, please let us know at comment yourgenome. Can you spare minutes to tell us what you think of this website? Open survey. In: Stories Society and Behaviour. Where did we come from? Moving out of Africa Evidence shows that the first wave of humans to move out of Africa did not have too much success on their travels. Related Content:.
Are humans still evolving? What is a genome? What is evolution? What is inheritance? Evolution of the human brain. What is genetic variation? How helpful was this page? What's the main reason for your rating? Which of these best describes your occupation?
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Although the evolution of facial characteristics is a complex subject, new research offers a climate-based explanation of the variation in nose width. Are humans still evolving? Natural selection requires variation. The milk revolution.
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More recent developments include lactose tolerance, reduced wisdom teeth and blue eyes. Furthermore, a close association with domestic livestock introduced new diseases into human populations. Poor diet and health were the main causes for the shorter stature at this time. Today: European males — cm 5ft 9 inches. There has been an increase in height over the last few hundred years. In part, this increase is due to improved diet and health care. There may also be a genetic link as industrial expansion and urbanisation has brought together genetically isolated people and reduced the impacts of inbreeding due to a greater mixing of populations and their genes.
Smaller brains For the last two million years there has been a trend toward a bigger brain that has affected many species in our family tree. Developing physical diversity: All one species but looking different Humans today show an enormous diversity in appearance, however this diversity was not apparent in early Homo sapiens.
All one species — how climate affects physical characteristics Body builds: Short, stocky builds are typical of humans living in cold climates. The reduced surface area compared to weight allows more body heat to be retained.
A thin, long-limbed build is typical of humans in hot regions. The larger skin surface compared to weight allows for body heat to be lost more easily. These rays help the body to synthesise vitamin D.
Darker skin protects the body from absorbing too many UV rays. This can cause cancer or destroy important vitamins and minerals. Noses: People living in hot, humid climates tend to have broad, flat noses that allow inhaled air to be moistened and the moisture in exhaled air to be retained. People living in hot, dry climates typically have narrowed, projecting noses. This type of nose reduces the amount of water that is lost from the lungs during breathing. People living in cold, dry climates generally have smaller, longer and narrower noses.
This type of nose moistens and warms the incoming air. Hair: Tight, curly hair keeps the hair off the neck and exposes more areas of the scalp than straight hair.
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