Are we still evolving?

[Dorsetmike]

Lying in bed trying to get to sleep, I often find some strange thoughts floating around, last night it was "do we still need toe nails, or come to that separate toes"; the nails presumably were originally claws which we obviously no longer need as we cover them with shoes and socks now, the only occasional use for them is as another place for the ladies to apply nail polish when wearing sandals and of course for pedicurists. As for the toes themselves they can be awkward/fiddly to clean between especially as one gets older and less able to bend easily. As for use, the only thing I can think of is for the thongs on a pair of flip flops.

The front end of the foot does have a use when walking or running etc but does it really need to be separated into 5 separate bits? Are they ever likely to fuse together?

Hands are quite OK as they are, although even there the nails no longer have the original use as claws (except in a few cases mainly among some members of the female of the species) however they are handy for scratching itches, picking at scabs and finding the end of a roll of sellotape and providing employment for manicurists.

Any other parts we could do without? Do we really need hair? I can just hear the wails of hair stylists contemplating the loss of it!

[Malc]

Some interesting theories Mike,  but if we didn't have toes, what would we stub against the door when we get out of bed in the night? If we didn't have toe nails, what would we use to poke holes in socks?

[NTrain]

I think you need to take 2 asprin, find some N Gauge models, and stop worrying about the real world......................

[Michael Shillabeer]

Hello Mike

What drugs did Bournemouth hospital give you...?

I believe toes fuse together if you marry you cousin or appear on reality TV...

Finger nails are useful for holding small pieces of brass etc. I also use them to de-burr plasticard! They're also fairly resiliant to acrylic paint so I use my fingers to hold models while airbrushing...

Evolution required

Fingers:
1: Heat proof for holding pieces together while soldering
2: Square flat ends to enable better grip on aformentioned pieces
3: Locking grip to stop pieces falling out when holding

Feet/toes
1: Become hands - two more hands would make model making so much easier!

Eyesight
1: Improve it so that small pieces of models dropped on floor can be found by simply scanning the carpet
2: Macro facility to make N Gauge easier

Best regards
Michael

[Newportnobby]

I think possibly you may have had the wrong sort of mushrooms for dinner last night, Mike
Nails on toes certainly lessen the effect when dropping something heavy on the feet, and nails on the fingers improve abilities when nasal gardening
To a certain extent I agree the toes could be fused as it might prevent the cramps I get now and then. As for fingers, maybe an Edward Scissorhand attachment only with a Swiss Army Knife would be better

[FeelixTC]

From what I read in the <cough!> 'popular press' - we are mostly devolving

[MikeDunn]

Isn't that just Scotland if they vote 'Yes' ? 

[Karhedron]

We are indeed still evolving. A few generations living in a more controlled environment is unlikely to change the overall direction radically. The main thrust of evolution at the moment seems to be that we are still increasing in height by up to an inch per century on average. Increasing travel will result in the blurring of racial phenotypes. Assuming current trends continue then by the year 3000 we are likely to be 7' tall on average with the majority of the population having mocha-coffee coloured skin.

WRT to some of the issues raised about specific features. Toes will not be fused or lost in a hurry. Even though we do not use them for gripping anything, individual toes are still important for balance in bipedal locomotion. Cranial hair is likely to be retained as we lose 60% of our body-heat through our heads. Our large and powerful brains (optimistically ) benefit from the insulation.

Nails are not needed much but are unlikely to disappear unless some evolutionary pressure makes them a hindrance.

[Karhedron]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6057734.stm

[Newportnobby]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6057734.stm

Interesting how women are likely to develop but, damn, I'm just not going to be around to see them :'(

[woodbury22uk]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6057734.stm

The smaller species is already alive and well, living in the queue of the various Greggs outlets in our local shopping centre.

[Agrippa]

I won't hear a word against Greggs, if it wasn't for them half the
students in Britain would starve to death. 

BTW those figures look like Ed Miliband and Dawn French.

[GScaleBruce]

I read recently that the - ahem - older generation tend to press a doorbell with their index finger, whereas the younger generation use their thumb... they text more... evolution in action?