Humans are far from ideal, whatever that is. We have all kinds of problems. Dr Jones seems to have forgotten about epigenetics. Thank you Dr. Herndon for being the only other person to mention it

Dr. Reuben Howden, Charlotte, USA

While older men may offer more mutation grist for the evolution mill, that there were very much fewer of them in prehistoric societies reduces their influence. This, among all possible mechanisms, is only a mild factor. Health care is a far bigger contributor to "frozen" evolution.

Fred Bosick, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

This article can only be applied to the developed world where modern medicine is readily available and women are educated (=less children). In less developed countries natural selection still applies. E.g. the AIDS epidemic in Africa: the frequency of the gene resistant to HIV is already increasing.

Sigrid-Christina, London, uk

It's depressing to read how many people from a country build on science and advancement, starts to believe in exactly the opposite of what made their country.

Jon, Vallensbæk, Denmark

But the point of evolution is that it adapts to change! You could say that the increase in survival of 21's + is an example of how evolution is working. Survival of the fittest does not necessarily mean survival of the few.

victoria, london, UK

Yes James, it is a theory. As is gravity. You arguing against that as well? In science a theory is as good as it gets, you work towards achieving a theory. In a court of law evolution would be unarguable, there is that much evidence.

Jamie T, Aberdeen, Scotland

No old fathers means no evolution? Human evolution has paused and will remain so until some catastrophe creates a small isolated breeding group in which mutations can take effect throughout the population. Until then, we will continue to evolve culturally and technologically.

Dennis Windsor, Surabaya, Indonesia

Jamie T-You stated that evolution is based on the evidence as and when you find it - so by implication you haven't found it yet. Therefore it remains a theory untill you have, right?

James de Beer, Caloundra Qld, Australia

it amazes me that the people who believe in creatonism will not question it in any way,however they will come out with ludicrous statements against evolution that they have been spoon fed by some creatonist pseudo-scientist without doing any research into evolution themselves...open your eyes people

Jamie T, Aberdeen, Scotland

Very bad science.

It sounds like a naive and research-grant-wasting over simplification of a very complex subject which we have only scratched the surface of.

John, Dursley,

Sorry Jim, but your argument doesn't hold water. Take a simple example like sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell trait is the result of having a gene mutation that make people better able to survive African Sleeping Sickness.

Soyokaze, Frederick, MD

Sickle Cell trait is a mutation that adds to the survivabilty of a population under a certain environmental pressure. That's evolution. The question you are refering to was can mutation add information to a genome. The answer was then doctored into the video that was spread around the net.

Soyokaze, Frederick , USA

50% of US revenue since WWII has been generated by science. Unfortunately, it seems the new wave of bible thumping Americans are trying their best to bring the greatest nation on earth to it's knees by chucking science straight out the window.

Poor USA. Please embrace science again. We miss you.

Jim, Leicester, UK

Since no mutation has ever added information to the system that is beneficial (Mr. Dawkins is still searching for that answer from a homeschooled child), the theory is in the realm of unscientific. Belief in a theory that is not repeatable, falsifiable or observable is faith, not scientific.

Jim, Rochester, USA

"Human evolution is a 3 million year ongoing process. To postulate theories about the entire process based on a 100 to 200 year window is just bad science." So what should we postulate? An even more ridiculous and virtually unknowable period of time? Your own comment should tell you something...

Keith, Lakeport, CA, USA

James de Beer- You do not need faith to believe in evolution. Evolution is based on the evidence as and when we find it. Amongst scientists and the intelligent evolution is taken as fact,do some research, 'faith' is the crutch of the creatonist. Every example of irreducible complexity is disproven.

Jamie T, Aberdeen, Scotland

I disagree with Steve Jones for a number of reasons. As noted above, for most of human history, the reproductive age range occured most in the teens and twenties. Much fewer men lived past their 40s and even fewer still had children.

Also the biodiversity of humans has not decreased.

Steve Engard, Sara, Washington, USA

"In spite of all the sci-fi movies, no radiation-based mutation has ever been passed on genetically. It's been studied a lot, and this myth has been debunked."

I beleive there are many in the Ukrane who became parents after 1986 who would disagree.

Al, Nausau,

Evolution Theory = Egyptian Pyramides. It is the mystery of the construct that keeps the concept alive. This is no different from creationism. For the individual it is simply a matter of choice as to his or her value of 'faith' investment.

James de Beer, Caloundra Qld, Australia

The loss of older reproducing males doesn't make sense. In prehistory, 40 years old was old. Now, of course, there are exceptions as with Moulay Ismail, but most men in prehistory were reproducing earlier because it was unlikely they would live longer. Thus, the majority reproduced before age 35.

Catherine M. Gaither, Denver, Colorado, USA

Isn't there reasons why evolutin is going faster as well? Contraception means selection gets more important, women can descide for themselfes when they want to get pregnant. And for population size - most of the time I hear that it is too small and to isolated populations that is the problem.

Torbjörn, Zürich, Swittzerland

There is a common misunderstanding of the import of "average life span." Average life span is just that, an arithmetical average, not an age cap. Taking into account the massive infant & child mortality rates of the pre-modern period we infer that if you made it to 18 you'd likely make it to 60.

Elliot, New York, USA

I say that any auto-evolution program should make resolving the processing deficits, so prevalent in the pinnacle primate population, a priority of paramount import. Relying on requisite retro-viruses to rewrite the right revisions to reproduce RNA to restore rationality.

Patrick Feliciano, Seattle,

Wow...the arcticle aside the comments it brought about are a whole study in themselves. Creationist nutjobs coming out of the woodwork left and right...

Tell your invisible friend hi for me...

Will, San Diego, USA

With more and more gentically modified food appearing on the family dining table and in the fast food outlets our children may well grow-up to into adults who can produce mutations. In a couple of generations we may begin to see the results.

Mr G Williams, Vienna, Austria

I wish people would scrutinise creationism with the same enthusiasm as people who scrutinise evolution.

I wonder how creationism would stand up to the same scrutiny, without the magic word "faith".

Steven W, Newcastle, UK

It may well be that chance-driven biological evolution is slowing but cultural and especially technological evolution is accelerating at an ever faster pace. We will be able to evolve far beyond the constraints of nature and biology by means of technological autoevolution very soon.

Marcel, Hamburg, Germany

um ... prior to WWI, what, dare I ask, was the Life Expectancy of the average male? And prior to 1182? It would seem to me, by this argument, that human evolution could NEVER have existed (until the post WWII period) and, um, if THAT is true, then maybe the Creationists are right about our origins?

mrG, Sauble Beach, Canada

Leading geneticist? Studies show anywhere from 10-20% of children not biologically related to their fathers. As the age of first parenting (both) rises, there's much more offspring variation, including disability. Environmental exposure increases with age expressed through EPIGENETICS. Duh!

Dr Patrick Herndon, Spicewood, USA

Surely that's incorrect.

Evolution hasn't stopped - it has merely changed direction.

Different factors are important in the modern world (extroversion, intelligence) than were important over the previous 100,000 years (strength, health)

Harry, Melbourne, Australia

I don't know the ways for having children in the whole planet , but it seems evident something even more important has happened now , monogamy is the main choice for all men and women . So in my country ,France , statistics show [ in "le Monde " newspaper] that people marry mainly in their county

gosselin, u, france

Why doesn't the eminent scientist come out and admit that evolution has been the ultimate of hoax's. There is not a single scrap of transpeciation in the fossil record, not one on this entire earth that has been recorded. Just a couple examples of micro adaptation - thats it!

David, Smithers,

Have a look around - you can see natural selection is no longer working - most notable example are politicians.

ReoH, Scottsdale, USA

erm.... but wasn't life expectancy about 35 all those years ago, therefore there are *more* children being born these days to older fathers, simply because there's more of them (by a factor of at least 5000 when population growth is also taken into account)?

A. Wright-Burke, London Bridge, UK

Evolution may be over but devolution is well underway ;-)

Andrew, Raleigh, NC, US

That anyone believes in this made up religion of evolution still amazes me. So little evidence, so much faith required to buy in. Does anyone not notice how often evolutionists change their stories to fit the latest finding? Study creation, it makes sense and fits the same evidence. I dare you.

John, WR, USA

Martin, Newmarket, Suffolk

Good point. Though by data from historical times, males fathered children starting as young as seventeen. I'm inclined to doubt that very many were fathering children after forty, tops.

Walt, Pittsburgh, USA

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Give a man religion and he will die praying for a fish.
John, Atlanta, USA

Where is your evidence please? Mine is the number of Christian scientists and engineers who have improved our lives.

Ena Nutshell, cheltenham,

The human body is designed to stop mutations happening so this needs to be weakened before mistakes happen. mistakes are crucial for darwinsim. Mistakes that, incomprehensibly, turn out to be good and just happen to work with everything else…now that is blind faith!

Simon, Birmingham , Britain

Oh wow actually I completely disagree about the global mass, it seems things are going the EXACT opposite of that.

Bob Findles, Monkeyville, UK

If you're talking micro evolution (intra-species), I would ask: how did evolution take place at all when it's only been in the last 100 years that a significant percentage of men have lived beyond 35 years? As far as man evolving into some other species, though, I don't have faith in that religion.

Steve, Northern Virginia, USA

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Give a man religion and he will die praying for a fish."

what about the fish, john? teach a man to enjoy pasta and asparagus and both man and fish will be happy for life.

jem, london, uk

Pathetic. Anyone who in this day and age of genetics believe we humans evolved from ape's need to wake up.

Caroline Carter, London, UK

Unintelligent design? On the basis of current affairs how about man?

DAVID, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

"One problem is that the academic elite is completely sold out to Darwinian evolution, and to oppose it is academic death because Darwinism is a religion that will not tolerate dissent.
Robert Moore, Canton, U.S.A."

No Robert, that's Catholicism.........

Dan, The Hamptons,

“Small populations which are isolated can evolve at random as genes are accidentally lost. "

So losing information gives rise to more complex organisms containing more genetic information.

By the same logic does that mean if I lose money for a million years I'll be richer?

Martin, Skye,

Just because physical evolution has stopped/paused doesn't mean that evolution has.Human consciousness is constantly evolving, and will continue at an ever increasing rate.

Neil, Southport,

Why does this article assume human evolution only occurs in the Western world? This is not only foolishly arrogant, but scientifically erroneous - as a theory it falls at the first hurdle. Stupendously unscientific stuff.

Emma Wilcott, Brighton , UK

The population of the world cannot keep expanding the way it is. Soon there has to be a painful rebalance - nature has a wonderful way of biting all the experts in the bottom now & again.

Don Smith, London, UK

I wish all the people who do not believe in evolution would just use basic penicillin next time they get an infection.

Since there is no evolution then there no reason to use drugs designed to kill bacterial that has evolved to be drug resistant right?!?! Otherwise you are hypocrite.

Dave, Mississauga, Canada

Since most random mutations are as the article stated "mistakes"
this only underlines the fact that they are rarely of benefit to the species affected. Our species may be in genetic decline, but but it is more because "survival of the fittest" no longer has the same meaning it did in ages past.

Alexis, Lexington NC, USA

As an American it is very depressing to see how many question the 'theory' of evolution but believe Creationism. Maybe they picked Palin to run for VP b/c they know how many blinded Americans there are -and growing- with more economic turmoil more will turn to God for help..and give money to 'him'

Mike M, Sydney, Australia

I'm no scientist, but if age is a key factor in evolution, how did occur tens of thousands of years ago, when presumably lifespans were much shorter, and even living to 40 would be an accomplishment?

Tom, Brier, USA

It is depressing that there are so many (mostly American) replies stating things like "evolution is just a theory" (with the obvious and wrong implication that it isn't proven). Why should we still be arguing over something beyond doubt? Stop wasting everyone's time, worshippers.

Tony, London,

The uneducated masses and the religious zealots are reproducing more than anyone else... I am very glad I won't be around to see a future made up of dole claimers and creationists!

Allow people to produce only one child in their lifetime, it will solve the looming food shortage in 2 generations!

Graeme, Edinburgh,

Strange to see creationists come out of the woodwork on a page like this. In that other marketplace of ideas, the Usenet, their theories were crushed years ago. Has human evolution stopped? Well, yes, probably running backwards - though the most important reasons are not covered in this article.

Andy Dyer, London, UK,

I used to live in Hong Kong and the vast majority of Chinese people I met wore glasses or contact lenses. Is this connected to the fact that an advanced agricultural society developed in China thousands of years ago whilst in Europe we were still primitive hunter-gatherers?

Patrick, Brighton,

Lest we forget, species with very little genetic resilience, signified by what we consider to be evolution, are much more vulnerable to catastrophic depopulation.

Patrick Benton, Annapolis, MD, USA

To Pete (Mercer Island, USA). Examples of Unintelligent Design: ALL those species which became extinct 'cos they failed to adapt (? faulty EXPERIMENTAL ID). Is the histological appearance of cancerous + other diseased tissues evidence of "order, design" etc.?. I am a "real scientist" since 1954!.

Andrew, Maracay, Venezuela

Dr. Jones, point proved.

Adrian, Sunbury, UK

science is great, yes. it really is. it gives me a good living. but closing your mind to the possibility of a God is equally as shocking, and with much greater stakes and consequences.

Steve, Belfast,

I'm 57 and I volunteer to help humanity evolve- you provide me with the women(pretty if poss, please)

peter c, Devizes, Wessex

Current figures for life expectancy and age of parenting have existed for less than a century, and only in certain parts of the world - in evolutionary terms, no time at all, and for a very few people. Steve Jones is being deliberately provocative - and it has worked! - look at all this feedback!

Dean Hallett, Basingstoke, UK

Down through the centuries men were lucky to live to the age of 35 and many women died between the ages of 16 and 19 due to childbirth complications. The average age of the death of men in the 18th century was around 22 years. Large families were due to remarriage more than anything else.

Alex, Los Angeles, USA

You want an example of unintelligent design? The dodo. Flightless and delicious.
Of course, there aren't many surviving examples of unintelligent design - they all died out eons ago as a result of the process of natural selection that underlies Darwin's theory.
Which kind of proves the point really.

Martyn Lobley, London, UK

We still have selection pressures, however, they are lessened by technology so any frequency change in alleles will take longer and be more diluted by the wider genetic base.

Gordon, Rolla, USA

I've done my bit! My daughter was born when I was 49.

John R, Sydney,

This makes no sense. Birth control radically changes the environment of human reproduction, and has led to hugely varying fertility rates among different groups. Right now, it seems that religious fundamentalists (regardless of religion) are reproducing at a rate 3 or 4 times more secular folks.

Dan King, Chicago, USA

This shows that the theory of evolution which says that man started out as a simple life form and will continue to evolve into greater beings is nonsense. This shows that Creationism which teaches that man started perfect and has been going down ever since is valid. Evolution = myth and God is rite.

Will, atlanta,

That is ridiculous. Evolution is the advancement of a species or a species in some way becoming a better more efficient being. A species as a whole can't evolve into a lesser being, thats obviously not how it works. We are the ideal physical being, it makes sense that we wouldn't evolve any more

Darwin, peoria, USA

I might agree that physical evolution is over for the reasons in the article, but mentally, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually our limits have not been tested as far as how far we can grow as human beings.

David, Bloomington, IL, USA

Evolution never started, so how can it be over?

John 14:6.

Rick, Maine, USA

What a bunch of nonsense. Evolution theory has long been suspect. This article attempts to provide cover for the serious question that if man evolved from apes, why has there been no further evolution in the last 10,000 years.

idjiut, Covina, USA

Anyone who believes in molecules to man evolution also believes that a tornado can go through a junk yard and make a 747....we've been had by science...global warming anyone?

Rich, Village Mills, USA

Evolution was over long ago because it was never a verified science to begin with, just an unprovable theory taught as an absolute. I wish someone could get this through to thick heads. Even Darwin himself never stated this theory as an absolute. Order to disorder is a physics dynamic,that is proven

Robb , Buena Vista, USA

Mutation is not evolution. Mutations can lead to evolution, but mutations can also lead to diseases and disabilities.

'Natural selection' is not a set of laws to live by, it is an after-the-fact projection of human categorisations onto indifferent natural phenomena

People generally don't get this

Jimmy, London,

Recent scientific research into the human genome has revealed many markers left behind by viruses. The mamalian placenta has been attributed to viral DNA mutation.

We have cured diseases with drugs and vaccinations and sterilised our environment to our detriment. The mixing pot is being emptied

ian, Edinburgh, Scotland

This is so silly! Since untill recently humans died early due to injury and disease. Not too long ago a wise old man was in his 30's and an ancient man was in his 50's

BUTCH, Bloom,

John - what is even scarier is that Gov Palin actually believes in witches. The American people must make it their duty not vote people with such astonishing beliefs into most powerful poltical office in the world.

Ray, Glasgow, Scotland

People are confusing average life expectancy with longevity. Child & infant mortality drive down the average, but some people always have & always will live until old age. As for an example of "unintelligent design." Um, hello? Dinosaurs?

Meredith, Washington DC, United States

Human Evolution is over..... it never began!

Jimma Carter, London,

Who said evolution only occurs in the West? What an incredibly ethnocentric view to take.

Howard, Manchester,

Hmmm, well, he forgets that many children with genetic problems no longer die at birth, and live to reproduce. This idea also fails to take into consideration mankind's ability to adapt to environmental changes. Nothing remains the same. Not mankind, not the earth, not the universe.

Eric, Newport Beach, USA

Please report his words properly - human evolution is not over, just slowing (in the sense he describes) among those of us in the west. But even if it was over, so what? And if our future is a population with a darker complexion, so what? We'll still be human.

Nullius, London, UK

Professor Jones neglects the fact that for humans information is not only passed between generations by genetics, but by teaching and learning. Acquired religion, politics, social and economic behaviours all have a profound effect on the likelihood of survival and breeding.

R. Mark Clayton, Manchester, UK

We will have to engineer our descendants and take responsibility for where we want to go and what we want humanity to become.We shall have to be the agent of our own selection one way or another. Unfortunately democracy is incompatible with what needs to be done for humanity's progress and survival.

Jon Maynard, Lansing MI, USA

Evolution is only useful when a population is under pressure, change or die. We have created a very stable environment for ourselves, so of course evolution has slowed down or stopped - we do not need to evolve biologically but cultural evolution - that's doing just fine.

Nurul Choudhury, New York, USA

This is just the type of conclusion one may arrive at when believing that one's family lineage can be traced to a community of Apes.

salome, saint john, Canada

I'm really frightened. I cannot beleave how many people (especially from the USA) are anti science. Science gave you medicine and the modern world. Why accept all that but you cannot accept evolution. If it wasn't for science we would still be living amoungst our own dung, and burning witches.

John Reilly, Dublin, Ireland

Evolution is the delusion of the atheist. Evolution equals unintelligent design. Real scientists marvel [and praise God] as they examin the minutest particles of creation, as they find order, design, and replicable laws of nature. Where is JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF UNINTELLIGENT DESIGN?

Pete , MERCER ISLAND, USA

Filter out the typical US Republican, Sean Hannity type, ignorance / desperation and those who don't understand "averages" then we would have a reasonable debate. btw, would all the angry religious types lay off the scientists - they do alot to make your lives easier.

Ray, Glasgow, Scotland

Some other keen and insightful observations:

"Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau."
-- Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.

"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value."
-- Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Eco

Stephen, santa monica, usa

No- Darwinism is well and working, natural selection is still at work. Time is slow to the individual so we don't see the change but change is ever Present.

Charles Case, Sherman, Texas

Taking Elephants as an example, having similar life span to humans, it is the older Bulls that father offspring, but the species is not considered as highly evolved as humans.
If humans are part of evolution, then the rule must apply and operate for all other species, not just for humans.

leah, warminster,

I was led to believe there was a higher chance of mutation when you have a child with a close relative. Perhaps there has been a drop in incest that accounts for the drop in evolution.

Jack, London,

For some time now 'human evolution' has been less and less about natural selection and more about 'cultural evolution', something neo-Darwinian theory hasn't been able to define and theorise in almost 150 years. On the advent of 2009, 'Darwin's Year' it's worth keeping that in mind. The human mind.

Mark, Glasgow, Scotland

Others have observed that the mean age of fatherhood may be higher now than at any time in history. Nonetheless - fundamentalists apart - it must be true that in the West patriarches no longer enjoy peak breeding, that advantage having passed to 'cool', irresponsible dudes with their babymamas.

Henry Thomas, Tenby, United Kingdom

Human evolution isn't over, it never was to begin with. Quoting the article, “Every time there is a cell division, there is a chance of a mistake, a mutation, an error,” How do you expect a population to improve by mistakes and errors? It would destroy itself long before any possible benefits.

Eric, Lake Havasu, USA

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Give a man religion and he will die praying for a fish.

John, Atlanta, USA

Having been taught by Steve 20 years ago, I'm sure he's enjoying the responses to this article no end and almost certainly chose the title of his lecture to cause just this kind of debate.

Didn't many Old Testament characters live to immense ages - obviously doing their bit for evolution

Miles, Nicosia,

Evolution is a lie because my invisible friend says so!!!!!!!!

Dirk, Boston,

I bet this guy believes global warming too.

chris, USA, USA USA USA

Professor Jones: "Humanity is being destroyed because men over 25 are not having enough sex with hot babes."

John Nobody: "Professor Jones, are you over 25?"

Professor Jones: "Yes, why do you ask?"

John Nobody: "Errr... no reason... no reason at all..."

John, Charleston, SC, USA

This is all craziness! Is there a gas leak in here? Well, I'll see you all in therapy.

If you want real answers to the mysteries of life, watch Spongebob Squarepants.

Joe, Hamilton,

No human evolution is not over. How rediculous. It's only being suppressed by authorities in churches and politics. The human experience has and is being stifled. The human mind is on hold until all the manipulation and propaganda stop and real truth and answers emerge.

Terry Neal, Madison, USA

Evolution! What utter NONSENSE! Clearly, this is where men who preach evolution try to modify their religion to make it more current, when all new scientific evidence points more and more to intelligent design. Romans 1:20-22 hits it on the head. These so called wise men have indeed become fools!

Jimmy C, Letchworth Garden City, UK

We are evolving! Those that believe in the bible are evolving into happier people for their beliefs that there IS a power over all and that trying to follow those teachings will make us better people. And then, those who believe they came from a base with no soul, no guidance, no hope, only greed.

bev, Anderson, USA

Robert:

Evolution is a fact. There is no "selling out." It is supported by multiple lines of evidence in multiple fields (many of which did not even exist when Darwin wrote Origins of Species). You are being sold a bill of goods that do not exist by your religious leaders.

Thomas Tretlon, Pittsburgh, USA

Mutation: it is the key to our evolution. It has enabled us to evolve from a single-celled organism into the dominant species on the planet. This process is slow, and normally taking thousands and thousands of years. But every few hundred millennia, evolution leaps forward.

Prof. Charles Francis Xavier, Rochester, USA

When my dad, who left school at 14, used to say the future was brown, everyone used to laugh their socks off. He would be so gratified to know that his pet theory has now been espoused and developed by such an eminent geneticist.

anne, bournemouth,

Isn't it just amazing that after MILLIONS of years, we were finally able to recognize the evolutionary process and then within a matter of 150 or so years, determine that it was over? Aren't we just the smartest species ever?!?! Yea homo sapiens! We're number one!!!

Jason Frodge, Fort Lauderdale, USA

Robert Moore, Canton, U.S.A.

I don't even know why I bother, you will just reply with something witty like "God did it" but I'll give you the benefit of a doubt. Science = open to change in face of evidence. Religion = tool for controlling cattle. Santa = existing deity by religous standards

Johan, Stockholm, Sweden

And yet, at the supposed height of human evolution, human life expectancy was significantly less than 29 years.

But that's evolutionary theory for you. It's true; it doesn't have to be consistent.

Valerie, SE Wisconsin, USA

Moulay Ismail was not the rule, but the exception. This article makes me curious about Jones' personal life. All I found was that he was born in 1944.

Ruth, Los Angeles,

The good Professor has overlooked one key facet of evolution - natural selection. With modern medicine as it stands there is less "cleaning up" of the gene pool. There are alive today people with serious lethal genetic conditions that would have been taken from the species before passing it on.

James, Sydney, Australia

And yet, at the supposed height of human evolution, the human lifespan was significantly less than 29 years. (But since evolutionary theory is known to be true, it doesn't have to be logically consistent.)

Valerie, SE Wisconsin, USA

The future is brown? Wouldn't people living in high northern or low southern latitudes skin pigmentations, etc adapt fairly rapidly to the decreased sun exposure and increased cold making them fair-skinned, etc (as must have happened some thousands of years ago already when we came out of Africa)?

Patrick, London,

Mr Smith is correct. There is a growing division between those women who abort their babies and those who nurture them. Evolution is actively selecting good loving parents and eliminating those atheists and other disfunctional groups. The religious will inherit the earth.

Sue Eatom, London, UK

Moulay Ismail fathered 888 children! He's thought to have copulated with an average of about 1.2 women a day over 60 years!!
CHANCE WOULD BE A FINE THING.
Come on ladies - it takes 2 to tango.
I'm willing to make the effort to save humanity!

Mark, London, UK

The fifth 'human' looks like Hitler! Please tell me we aren't all evolved from him......

Ewan , Sherborne, Dorset

What would be the point of evolving any further? We already are the most adaptable species known to exist, and we seem to be well on our way to being independent of our environment. Some say we are already capable of changing the planet's environment. Logic can be a cruel thing.

ST Menzies, Longwood, USA

"...Darwinism is a religion that will not tolerate dissent."

As opposed to creationism, a fantasy based upon a primitive mythology that relies on a magical being with miraculous supernatural powers, but who refuses to stop by and say hello to his creations occasionally, because... why, exactly?

Val, Baltimore, USA

Technology has indeed suppressed many of the natural factors of variation. It is predictable that the most influential modifications to our future gene pool will be introduced by human design. Variation between individuals could get pretty extreme in this case.

Mike K., Dallas, Texas, USA

It's very hard to follow the logic that is presented in this article. Since the population of this planet is about 10 billion now compare the amount of sperm division now to the time when the population was half a million, and the claim is less cell division anomalies now and less evolution!!

Clayton Douglas, Elk Grove, CA, USA

How wonderful! With all the continuing disease and mutations and early death in the third world, they now have a chance to catch up with the West, become better fitted to survive, raise their IQ and we can start a new golden age of equality.

Big Bill, Cambridge, MA, USA

Anyone arrogant enough to stupidly say that 'evolution is over' needs to have their degrees taken away from them and be sent to work in a chip shop.

Gerry, Stuart, FL, USA

I don't ever remember turning on the nightly news to hear "Creationists now believe...", but yet I have no doubt that everyone in the civilized world has heard "Scientists now believe..." at least a dozen times. Convenient. btw...scientists don't believe in evolution...evolutionists do.

joe, Saint Louis, USA

"Human evolution is over!" "The world is flat!" "You can't fly faster than the speed of sound!"

Sound familiar?

Mike, Wheaton, USA

He could be right. I stopped evolving ages ago.

Simon, Chiddingly, UK

"Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools".

The lie of evolution originated in the pride of man. Because man does not like to think he has to answer to God, he looks for ways to deny His existence. We will all answer to the Creator of All one day. Stop denying, get ready.

John, Chicago, USA

I disagree. The evolution will still go on, but from human perspective into a negative direction. Human evolution will take a turn for the worse, because natural selection (thank God,medicine,anaplasty,marketing) does not function any more, there is more or less a social evolution.

Woo, Cologne,

A theory that explains everything explains nothing.
--Karl Popper

Doug, Flint, MI, USA

Uhm, when evolution was supposedly in full swing and new species of hominids were exploding onto the scene, what was the chance of survival PAST the age of 50? I don't recall any literature talking about the remarkable ages attained by these hominids. Seems like most fossils are quite young.

George, Atlanta, USA

Daniel, rio grande. could you post a link to where the 250 grand prize is please.. I'm a bit short of money right now and I could really do with an easy way of getting money.
Also am I the only one who is actually scared by the stupidity of creationists?

Andy, London, United Kingdom

Regardless of the data, evolutionists are always able to spin the results as part of the theory. The problem is that there is no evidence of human evolution, and this gentleman uses its absence as proof of, guess what, evolution!

Carl, Mount Vernon, USA

Remember this, from the Daily Mail last year? "The human race will one day split into two separate species, an attractive, intelligent ruling elite and an underclass of dim-witted, ugly goblin-like creatures, according to a top scientist". The subject was de-evolution which, it appears, has begun.

Roger, Southport, USA

What was the common age of fatherhood in our ancestors era? Young. What was their average life span. Not like ours.
He is contradicting himself. Men are having kids at a much later age in life now, so per his statement the mutations are going to happen more often. Time for him to get a new job.

daheed, Geneva,

Further proof that the godless evolutionists don't have a clue where we came from or where we are going. Thus they are without hope and without a future.

Kerri, Texas,

emergent phenotypes. competition within extant types occurs constantly, the type best sited to the environment and situation usually triumphing, whereas novel types are usually fatal and short lived unless a drastic shift in environment favours the new type or the new type is ideal for the enviro.

chris, harrogate, uk

From left to right, I have seen the monkey in the zoo, and the 4th, 5th and 6th man on National Geographic, but not the 2nd and 3rd, alive or dead. How do they draw these things if we have not seen them, ever? It must be as simple as drawing lines from one object to the other at a rising angle.

Rob, New York, USA

Human evolution is a 3 million year ongoing process. To postulate theories about the entire process based on a 100 to 200 year window is just bad science.

Donny V, San Marcus, USA

Although the average human lifespan was much shorter, males who survived childhood could live relatively long lives. It was not uncommon for women to die as a result of childbirth.

Sue, Florida, USA

What a surprise: another professor making specious pronouncements. One problem is that the academic elite is completely sold out to Darwinian evolution, and to oppose it is academic death because Darwinism is a religion that will not tolerate dissent.

Robert Moore, Canton, U.S.A.

This can't be if you listen to the so called experts the teen pregos should more than offset this clown theory. These so called experts there just around to be proven wrong.They must sit around just dreaming up this crap that cannot be provin in our lifetime and just think we are paying for this.

william, oceanside, usa

JT from Nottingham hits the nail on the head: "Everyone survives now, not just the fittest." Surely if human evolution is to progress, we need to allow the weak to fall by the wayside ... tough, yes, logical outworking of evolution: yes, too.

Jemima Boucher, London, UK

Good Evolutionary Cop-Out. Evolutionists can neither identify past missing links and now all of a sudden, human evolution has stopped. Seems to me they are boxing themselves in. If earthly species can survive a global extinction and multiple iceages, I'm sure humans will continue on evolving.

JAnderson, Norman,

Our increasing skill with technology is largely relegating our need to adapt. If anything we will probably adapt to use our machines better.

Shaz, Bristol,

I'm impressed. Something that never was, has stopped. Wow! That's like saying the moon is no longer made out of cheese. Jones should join the brothers Grimm and write other fairy tales.

David, Holley, USA

I do enjoy watching the God squad squirm at the very mention of evolution. They all like to say that there is no evidence to prove evolution, which is true, but there is tons (literally) of evidence that supports it. The same can't be said of God...for which there is literally no evidence.

tim, warwick,

One statement makes this article questionable:

"Although chemicals and radioactive pollution could alter genetics.."

In spite of all the sci-fi movies, no radiation-based mutation has ever been passed on genetically. It's been studied a lot, and this myth has been debunked.

Greg, Fremont, USA

Martin London,

It's actually 6000 years ago. Stick to the facts.

Johan, Stockholm, Sweden

"natural selection, mutation and random change" evidently drive evolution. 1)Natural selection can be proven to lead to changes in a species, NOT the appearance of new ones. 2)Mutations are generally harmful and billions x billions would be needed! 3) All that is left is chance - sums up evolution!

Andrew Brown, derby, UK

Aren't the high infant and child mortality rates in the past figured into average lifespan estimates? I believe if one survived childhood 100 years ago or 1,000 years ago, then one's chances of reaching old age were not much less than today.

John, Atlanta, USA

The theory of evolution is a British-Marxist conspiracy. All right-minded people know that humans emerged in Arkansas from Paradise 10,000 years ago thanks to Adam and Eve, dressed in Brooks Brothers and Donna Karan, driving Lincolns, eating Dunkin' Donuts and talking American English.

Martin, London,

errr, surely when we were all living wild etc not too many even lived past 35 let alone fathered children. Just a thought. Oh and more likley human evolution has stopped because we no longer live by the laws of natural selection. Everyone survives now, not just the fittest.

JT, nottingham,

No! NO! NO! It's a hockey stick, see?

We're going to go up and up and up until we all Humpty Dumpty down again ; back where we started.

The politicians, all City bankers (a pun intended ) are already there,

Down in the primaeval slime, whence we came

ariel, Periana, Spain

Evolution is not linear. It needs a stressor otherwise there is no competition. An ice age or global warming will soon kick-start evolution again. The AIDS virus, a fine example of evolution going on before our eyes, might be doing just that.

Evolution is not dead. It is resting.

Derek Smith, Brighton, UK

Belief in a God does NOT disprove evolution.
You can SEE evolution working all around you. Second, which of many versions of Bible, many other books is the truth? Scientology? Mormons? Seventh Day Adventists? Maybe no-one has the truth - or ever will?

Leigh Vernier, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“Natural Selection” claims that 'nature' selects the fittest living things to survive and acquire new features and slowly 'evolve'. While the fittest may indeed survive, this does not explain how they came or change into a different 'species'-which is what 'evolution' is all about.

Geri Jayasekara, Colombo, Sri Lanka

The civilizations of the ancient world believed in evolution. Whether you believe in the Bible or not the Genesis account is a polemic against the views of the the Babylonians, Egyptians, etc. The Theory of Evolution is symmetrical in explaining the origins of the universe. The Bible is assymetrical

Brendan, Wilkinsburg, USSA

How can human evolution end when it never began?

Nishizawa, Hiroyoshi, Torrance, Calif., U.S.A.

I am laughing out loud!!!! It never began, how can it be over??? Did the good Doctor arrive a this view from observation of the Labor Party or the Democrates?

MIke Pike, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

ET come save us.........

Dana, frederick, usa

Not only lots of people here don't understand evolution, they don't understand averages too.
When they read that humans on average lived 35 yrs, they think that means everyone lived to be 35 yrs. That's what an average means, right? Average means all
And most of them seem to be right wing Americans

Armando Gascón, Buckingham, United Kingdom

Before the modern industrial age people DID live into their 70s, 80s and even 90s. The reason for the low overall average lifespan was the high rate of infant mortality. Once you get past that, lifespans were near to ours. The Bible (which is a fairly ancient book) claims a lifespan of 70 years.

Martin, Newmarket, Suffolk

What a joke of a theory. I do agree that human evolution is over though, but only because it never began.

Larry L, Greenfield, WI, USA

The expert seems to fail to explain how a new genetic difference can dominate a large population. That is because it simply can't. It will always become a recessive. The picture is cute, but missing more than a million missing links. Likewise, with 2 more pictures apes could descend from man.

george, hallettsville, usa

When we get this global warming crisis solved I sure hope Professor Jones can fix this evolution thing. Otherwise after it grinds to a halt, what’s to keep evolution from continuing in the same direction and de-evolving all life backwards to the primordial soup from whence it came?

dbruce, Rochester, USA

The day my tools get out of my truck on their own and design and build a house on their own that is the day I will believe evolution. Till then I believe the Italians designed and build the Ferrari The Germans the Porsche the Americans the chevy and God mankind.

John, Rockford, United States

Something seems very wrong here. Recently, it was speculated (by geneticists, if I'm not mistaken) that the apparent increase in the incidence of autism was due to the fact that so many older men (in their late 40's,50's and 60's) were now fathering children. "Old" sperm was the suspected cause.

Liam Moredburn, Toronto, Canada

Well, I've done my bit, I was aged 39-45 when my children were born.

Faustino, Brisbane, Australia

PURE BOGUS!

Historically speaking, 30 years old was and still is a VERY OLD AGE for any male since the dawn of mankind.

Only in the last 50 years did men begin to live older than this.

jim, Boston, USA

Look at the bright side--after global economic collapse the world will probably revert back to a system of countless warring little tribes, where old "kings" get to sleep with all the women. And infant mortality will rise again. I could go on, but I really think this is a case of Chicken Little.

Don D, Chicago, USA

Human evolution is now in the hands of genetic biologists, etc., not simple, natural, random mutation.

The advantage: we can choose what directions we desire (selecting for or against screenable DNA patterns).

The disadvantage: the law of unintended consequences.

Every day is a beginning.

Edo Van Ede, Dordrecht,

Perhaps human evolution ended because there was no human evolution.

"Let us create man in our own image."

The Word is truth. Worship the Creator.

Kevin, North Holl, USA

You've got to be kidding me

Mac, Kevil,

Jones fails to take into consideration that at one time the races did not mix at all, while today there is increasing inter-racial marriage and mixed race offspring that lead to genetic diversity and evolution that is cultural, rather than simply biological, a further step in human evolution.

Trevor, Honolulu, USA

There's a 250k dollar reward for anyone who can prove Evolution. It's been around for over 15 years. You'd think someone like Richard Dawkins would just show us the evidence and claim the reward. Evolution is a BIG LIE, but as usual, most people just prefer to follow the herd, rather than think.

Daniel, Rio Grande, USA

Interesting theory but no! Purporting that a 1000 divisions is more conducive to mutations than 300 divisions is gnarly. If mutations are caused by "mistakes" can he deny that 300 divisions is not a bigger "mistake" in itself? haha the mistake is that we are having kids at a younger age!!!

Adam Shlecter, Los Angeles,

If Human Evolution is over, the end of humanity must surely be at hand! Predicting "the end of the world" ranks right up there with prostitution as being one of the oldest tricks on Earth. The ecological/evolutionary success of mankind is self-evident. Prof. Jones' premise is unsustainable.

A. G. GUMBS, Glendale Heights, USA

Hmmm, seeing as Prof. Jones is denying evolution (in the future), I wonder when he will be forced to resign his position and to retire in ignominy. Or is it just that those who are Christian (not Muslim, because they're not Christian) must be forced out of their jobs?

Drew, Norwalk, USA

Scientists claimed much of our DNA was 'junk' a few years back....now they are understanding that isn't the case.

There may well be some serious bottlenecks in the future.... plus, what about punctuated equilibrium?

It seems irresponsible to claim we've deciphered nature.

L, New York,

Mike, from Blackwood. Read a book on evolution. Start with something on the 5th grade level, and you'll have your answer.

M A, Guymon, OK,

I blame the Christians, personally.

J, New York,

Maybe it's following a bell-shaped curve and soon we'll all be monkey's again!

mcadams, huntsville AL, USA

I am curious...If we evolved from the ape, how come THEY are still HERE? Is there another example in nture so that I may compare?

Mike, Blackwood, NJ, USA

Most people died by age 30, but some, like Ghengis Khan, have 16 million descendents. Winners win! I agree with Mike in Newark- add pollution to that list. I read somewhere recently, Brazil is the most genetically mixed country on Earth, and the future of the human race looks like Brazil. Not bad!

Emma, Alabama, USA

I find it hard to believe the prehistorically, humans procreated into their 50s... I thought the average life expectancy was 30something... Only in recent history have people lived long enough to procreate at a later age.....

Will, Sydney,

Most of our born children are surviving, but we're killing over a million through abortion every year. I'm sure this throws it all off, too, because obviously, the strong are not those surviving, it's the wanted.

A Smith, Independence, USA

Adam is right, way back in the day men were lucky to see 35, so most children were probably conceived by men in there teens and 20s. And what about climate change? We know that that has been a huge component in evolution, and now we are facing maybe another huge change, That may serve to evolve us

Kate, Brooklyn,

This article fails to address that the lack of "survival of the fittest" itself affects the evolution of humans. For example, we are evolving with poorer and poorer vision because people with bad vision do not starve to death like their caveman ancestors. Instead, they simply buy glasses.

Joe A, brooklyn, USA

Yeah, sez you. Come back in a million years, maybe two and tell me the same story.

Earl, Orlando, USA

Evolution is over because WESTERN MEN aren't having babies once they get old? One man having an alleged 888 kids HELPS natural selection? And this guy must be blind to suggest we're becoming less random - although there is a lot of mixing going on as it is easier to travel long distances.

Gregor, SAN DIEGO CA, USA

Not only is evolution over but the human race is not far off becoming extinct. We have succeeded in destroying our sole source of survival i.e. the planet we live on. And in the event that this doesn't happen quick enough we will probably blow ourselves to pieces with a few nuclear bombs.

Paddy, Cork, Ireland

100 yrs ago the average age lived by a human was 47 yrs, and it was even less if you go back further. There weren't many 50 yr olds having children 500 yrs ago. If anything, the average age of "fatherhood" is much higher now than in the past, so the 1st sentence is wrong, it's not grinding to a halt

Adam, Atlanta, USA

It seems a little bit silly to make this claim, when you consider that our ancestors seldom lived past the age of 30.

Eric, Maryland, USA

10,000 years ago people seldom lived to 35, so by Prof Jones, humans are evolving more now than before.

And this: "Humans are 10,000 times more common than we should be, according to the rules of the animal kingdom, " is just grotesque. There is no should here, just professorial bias.

Chad, Chico, CA, USA

Joseph,

May as well claim gravity is a fiction too if you're going to attack theories. Gravity is as well settled as evolution. If that is unsettling then I suggest doing some research and losing the creationist talking points.

William, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Every mutation ever recorded is an error of dna or a loss of information. We are lucky that there are less mutations now. What? You think an old father will produce a child with wings or maybe an echolocation melon--that could improve our race.

shari, sacramento,

HA!!! HA!! HA! HA!! This is ridiculous and I'm educated with a Master's Degree!

Mary, Vero Beach, USA

Ever notice how no one complains when evolutionary scientists make an arbitrary change?
Since the human species is remaining stable (like a species tends to do...) we must conclude that humans, in all their glory, have thwarted the indomitable juggernaut of evolution? No. We disprove a theory.

Matt, SAN ANTONIO, Texas

Hard for something to be over that never had a beginning.

Pretty amazing that after all these billions of years, suddenly during our brief lifespan, evolution is over. Might that be because you can find no proof of it? Never could. The entire evolution movement was based upon made-up drawings.

Nikkofly, Salem OR, USA

Hmm... two correspondents who reveal they don't understand evolution at all.

John Bull, Country,

I disagree entirely...humans are engineering their own evolution in several ways: 1) bio engineered foods can and will have very significant effects on both humans and the environment; 2) we are connecting ourselves with computers in ways that will become organic . Now that's EVOLUTION!

mike, newark,NJ, USA

This makes no sense. Before the modern industrial age people were not living into their 70's and were having children at even younger ages and in greater quantities than in modern times. Yet evolution followed along at its own pace. It wouldn't make sense then that now we have stiffled evolution.

John, Killeen, USA

Brain is not more finely tuned than ever; the mind was as active in the past as it is today, but in a different manner. Historically people concentrated on a single idea or task for a longer period of time; today we skim the surface quite a bit more, but we have less depth; now food is the variable

Matt, Bloomington, USA

I don't buy that. When humans made most progress, what was the lifespan? 30yrs max? Where did all the mutations come from then?

joe, toronto, canada

I suppose professor Steve Jones would have to fear for his tenure if he named the PRIMARY cause for evolution grinding to a halt. That is, the poisoning of our culture against itself with feminism, atheism, hedonism, and multiculturalism, until the most responsible have the fewest children.

Ron, Missoula, USA

what does he mean the future is brown? like.. brown skin or brown as murky?

Justin, Lake Charles, USA

Nonsence! Evolution is a reaction to the environment, as well as genetic response.

Kerry L. Winn, Las Vegas, United States

I agree that we are all going to be mixing together again. But how can he say that there will be less older fathers? People are having children later and later.

Andrew, Los Angeles,

This is mutation.

john, Oxford, usa

Guy's probably just annoyed because he still can't get a girlfriend.

Revenge of the Nerds indeed.

On a serious note, though, what is he proposing to do?

Institute compulsory neutering of all males after a sperm-bank donation and requiring the government to control who breeds?

"Nuts!"

Michael, New York, USA

I think that this is all a convenient way to say that evolution is a hoax and never exsisted in the first place. Now that we are keeping record, we will now see that we never did change from the Genesis.

Mark, Anchorage, AK , USA

I think this is only the part of the issue that has been studied by this scientist. The rate of mutations may have increased due to the use of synthetic chemicals. The rate of stable mutation selection may have increased due to more diverse mating opportunities. And what not ...

Diouf, Hanover,

God is great in his design!!! The Big Bang--Forgets about Entropy. Evolution is a complete myth formulated by hysterical people who are against the God of this universe. There was never any evolution. To believe in it requires more faith than believing in Christ as your Savior for eternal life.

Michael Probasco, Saint Charles, USA

Yeah, and we can close the patent office because everything has already been invented too.

Rafer Hoxworth, Lahaina, Maui, USA

Has Professor Jones factored in catastrophe theory?
Whilst humans exhibit the insanity of being guided by their ghosts, (Gods) and have nuclear weapons to back up their differences, we may shortly be going back to start again; survival of the fittest once more.

Tony Collins, Redruth, UK

Maybe we will evolve to the point af a Banana Republic style world government

Steve, New Hampshire, USA

What a load of absolute, total nonsense! The brain is evolving at a tremendous pace. Each generation gap is bigger than the last. Materialism and stress take a huge toll as the brain is more sensitve and finely tuned than ever.

Mutations such as psychopaths are what he should be looking at!

iain, bedford, uk

or - the baseline assumptions of inter-species evolutions are wrong and one day these findings will simply become part of a large set of findings that simian to human evolution never occurred.

Joseph, Oakland, NJ, USA