So we are (or most northern Europeans anyway) genetically different from our palaeolithic ancestors, those with the adaptation to drink milk had an advantage over those who didn’t and became the dominant group through natural selection. So much for the paleo diet.

Also a nice example of evolution in Humans.

http://www.nature.com/news/archaeology-the-milk-revolution-1.13471?WT.mc_id=FBK_NatureNews

Not sure how true this is but I’m sure I saw a documentary that says the in the far east, long ago, they drank tea, in the west, we drank beer and wine, hence our far eastern cousins have much less tolerance of alcohol when compared to us drunks…

That was quite interesting. Demonstrates quite clearly that evolution is a dynamic process and still effects our lives today.

I’ve also read that one of the reasons western cultures became dominant is that they were exposed to and developed immunity to many diseases as a result of close contact with domesticated animals that were often the originator of the disease.

Many of the communicable diseases – eg measles, influenza, smallpox were diseases that originated from domesticated animals. While they did kill lots of people in the western world at least partial immunity developed over time.

When western culture then interacted with New World cultures the germs did most of the work for them.

The Spanish Conquistadors – while pretty nasty in their own right were nothing compared to the measles and smallpox germs that they brought with them.

So not only did milk confer an advantage for earlier farmers it ultimately led to the conquest of the New World

Gun Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond covers these ideas quite well.

I am quite intolerant to dairy products, so I haven’t evolved very well, clearly!

I posted that link on the thread about synthetic meat last week, I was met with vegan hostility

think whats also interesting is that making luuuurve with neanderthals and denisovans gave us a leg up immunity wisee when we moved out of africa, we still carry their DNA in genes that code for our immune response, as theyd been exposed to the non-african diseases already and built up immunity

http://www.livescience.com/15754-neanderthals-immunity-boost-humans.html

It’s only interesting if you subscribe to the evolution school of thought.

Which I do BTW

It’s only interesting if you subscribe to the evolution school of thought.

Which I do BTW

Yeah, I think I do too. Hence why I believe that if Humans continue to drink milk, eat grains, and generally consume the produce of the farmer. Then eventually I’d expect that Humans will evolve to adapt and deal with it without much of a downside.
However, where we are currently, along the path of evolution, which leads to a life lead eating pizza, chocolate and swilling beer with the gay abandon of someone who has been promised immunity from any of the undesirable side effects. Is another question.

Some, it would seem, are better evolved / adapted, than others.
😉

Pizza, chocolate and beer, that’s all the major food groups covered, that’s right there is a well rounded diet 😉

Pizza, chocolate and beer, that’s all the major food groups covered, that’s right there is a well rounded diet

For the genetically superior blessed amongst us, that may well be true. But for me, even thinking of enjoying such food suddenly causes my clothes to start shrinking.
🙁