Expert: John Shea - 7/5/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hello John
Can you tell me what is the central factor that causes man to evolve? Also what caused the europeans to evolve to their status of technological superiority, superior intellectual and better ability to lead (especially the Nordics)


ANSWER: Dear Mahabir
There is no single factor that causes humans to evolve.  The mechanism is pretty straightforward, natural selection, but sources of selective pressure vary from region to region and through history.  To cite a recent example, lactose tolerance.  This is a factor in much of Africa, Eurasia after domestication of goats and cattle, ca. 8000 years ago. People who inherited the mutation that allowed them to digest the milk of other species had a bit advantage over those who did not.  This was not a factor in Australia, New World until after lactose-tolerant Europeans arrived, ca. 1500-1800 AD.
I don't think anybody would agree Europeans recent historical dominance of other parts of the world necessarily involve evolutionary processes influencing intelligence or leadership ability.
Geographic and historical contingency play a major role in Europe's recent colonial history.  Have a look at Jared Diamond's book, Guns, Germs and Steel.  I think the book will correct some of your impressions about the connection between evolution and European colonial history.
Cheers,
John Shea

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for following up. I was wondering what controls natural selection and what causes DNA to experience the changes it does.
I know for sure that the ability of a species to transform the natural resources into useful goods ie. ships, aeroplanes demostrates higher intelligence. For the last millenium the causcians have demonstrated excellence in doing so and i was wondering how did they evolve to the point that they possessed such technological superiority.
The resources have always been there; but it takes intelligence and superior intellect to transform them -- the african colonials did not have this intelligence.
This is my refutation. The Europeans had demonstrated superior intelligence in their ability to transform the resources. I am aware of their barbaric fashion in doing so but i am more interested into getting an insight of where does this intelligence come from and how does it evolve (for one to be able to transform resources into useful products)

Answer
Dear Mahabir
This is on the borderline of a question that is too complex for me to answer in the time I allow for Allexperts questions.  Seriously, though, I think you will find the answers to many of your questions in Diamond's book.
FWIW: There is no generally-accepted scientific evidence for their being inherited  differences in intelligence or technical ability among Homo sapiens that sort out along geographic lines.  Most of the differences people cite along these lines have to do with economic differences among sub-populations of the same society with different geographic origins.  If you want to follow up on this issue, have a look at Stephen Jay Gould's book, The Mismeasure of Man, it is an eye-opening book about the history of intelligence testing.
Cheers,
John Shea