[Ginger]

Originally Posted by dreadgeek

We have some advantages they didn't have and they have some advantages we didn't have. We have better technology and so more of us could likely survive a harsher ice age than our paleolithic ancestors did.

Only those with access to that technology would survive. And they are outnumbered by a majority growing both proportionately and in quantity.

That said, our die-off would likely be *much* larger simply because we are so much more numerous.

Keep in mind, though, that given the small genetic diversity of our species (I know we don't look like we are genetically relatively homogeneous but we are) we've had one very close brush with extinction.

I'm sorry, I'm not getting the connection (why it's "Given" that (despite or because of?), our small generic diversity we've had one close brush with extinction. Can you explain again, please?

The current understanding is that all 7 billion of us are the descendants of, perhaps, no more than 10000 breeding pairs living ~75-100000 years ago. Yes, we bounced back and did so quite magnificently but as I said earlier, there's a lot of genetic diversity we lost during that time.

As far as how we might adapt as a species is anyone's guess. We are still evolving as a species but we've changed the rules of the game so much that it's just this side of impossible for us to know what kinds of traits are being selected for.

I wonder if we're selecting for traits enabling people to have more resistant to environmental toxins.

Cheers
Aj

Interesting.