Many humans often think of evolution as ‘something that happened’ in the past but evolution is still hapening. We do see it in bacterias and virusus, and other animals like cockroaches, mouses and rats that we want to kill or keep them out of our homes, but it is happening in all species of plants and animals because we all evolve depending of our common environment. The process is constant and powerful, and one that is often unleashed by human behaviours.
Often this is deliberate because humans have the tendency to change their world, we’ll look at how artificial selection has shaped our crops, livestock and domestic pets, and we’ll find out how modern science is uncovering the genetic changes that lie beneath. One common animal that we have changed is the dog and the corn is a very good example as plant because it can not reproduce by itself - it needs the human help for another good culture.
But sometimes human behaviours unleash powerful and altogether less welcome evolutionary forces…join us as we uncover them together!
This lecture was recorded by the professor of physic Robin May on 20th March 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London. He is also Chief Scientific Adviser at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Professor of Infectious Disease at the University of Birmingham.
