Still Waters Posted November 2, 2013 #1 Share Posted November 2, 2013 Humans will shrink significantly because of man-made climate change if patterns from previous global warming events are followed, researchers have said. A team of scientists from the University of Michigan said mammals decreased in size "substantially" during two ancient global warming events, known as hyperthermals. http://www.ibtimes.c...ink-smaller.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A rather obscure Bassoon Posted November 2, 2013 #2 Share Posted November 2, 2013 Have not Humans actually got taller ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug1029 Posted November 2, 2013 #3 Share Posted November 2, 2013 Have not Humans actually got taller ? Dwarfism (in a species) is believed to be a genetic adaptation to reduced environmental resources. It happened to the mammoth, red kangaroo and a long list of others. Modern kangaroos are about two feet shorter than their ancestors of 70,000 years ago. The last surviving mammoths on Wrangell Island, about 7000 years ago, were about the size of a collie dog. Several other isolated mammoth populations underwent independent dwarfing episodes, including populations in California's Channel Islands and on Sicily. It occurred in Australian lizards where the large megalania went extinct, while the smaller monitor survives quite well, thank you. Trees also have undergone dwarfism in some areas, simply as a result of the large ones being cut for timber. In Europe there is a measurable genetic change resulting from that. Investigators have not found such a change in the Americas; evidently, Americans haven't been cutting big trees long enough. In the red kangaroo, humans are believed to have been the driving force, killing large ones for food. Also, we have selectively killed off larger species of deer, cattle and others through hunting. While this is not dwarfism at the species level, it is at the genus level. There are numerous causes of dwarfism, of which we humans are one. We might undergo dwarfism if we can't figure out how to feed our populations adequately, but unless something starts selectively hunting us for food, we won't have to worry about that particular mechanism. Doug 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resh Posted November 2, 2013 #4 Share Posted November 2, 2013 At least they assume future generations... the way things are going Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heroic Bishop Posted November 3, 2013 #5 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Makes a change from them blaming it on smoking for once.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashyne Posted November 3, 2013 #6 Share Posted November 3, 2013 (edited) This explains why the Dwarves (who lived deep underground close to the hot core) are so small. Perhaps they were once normal humans (who migrated below and formed the great Dwarven kingdoms of legend) and not a different species after all! They simply shrank due to extreme climate changes! Edited November 3, 2013 by Ashiene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duchess Gummybuns Posted November 3, 2013 #7 Share Posted November 3, 2013 This sounds like no small problem. I'll go hide in the corner now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
progressivegamer44 Posted November 4, 2013 #8 Share Posted November 4, 2013 6 foot master race reporting in, I'm tall, but not too tall. Works for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROGER Posted November 4, 2013 #9 Share Posted November 4, 2013 We call this the " Clothes Dryer " theory . Humans will shrink like cotton socks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtlantisRises Posted November 4, 2013 #10 Share Posted November 4, 2013 6 foot master race reporting in, I'm tall, but not too tall. Works for me I'm ridiculously over tall. But as people shrink I'll be even more tall so I don't mind, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lopex Posted November 4, 2013 #11 Share Posted November 4, 2013 A horse the size of a small dog? THAT WOULD BE AMAZING 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud the mackem Posted November 4, 2013 #12 Share Posted November 4, 2013 I always get some ruddy Giant in front of me at football matches. What is the average height of todays Males. You are the same height as anyone with a gun in your hand as being small makes you less of a target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cormac mac airt Posted November 4, 2013 #13 Share Posted November 4, 2013 I have to wonder how the scientists at the University of Michigan reconcile their claim that mammals were getting smaller due to the two climate change events of 55 and 53 mya respectively, when the oldest primate AFAIK (Archicebus achilles) only dates to c.55 mya and could fit in the palm of ones hand. Also, how did they determine that events from that long ago would impact humans, a genus which didn't even exist prior to c.2.5 mya? http://www.npr.org/2013/06/05/188875000/tiny-ancient-tree-dweller-was-one-of-earths-earliest-primates cormac 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merc14 Posted November 6, 2013 #14 Share Posted November 6, 2013 HS stupid theory. LMAO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regeneratia Posted November 14, 2013 #15 Share Posted November 14, 2013 (edited) What climate change? You mean the cooler summers? Arctic ice melts here and grows there. The antarctic ice grows there and melts here. The North pole is roaming far more than ever before. Edited November 14, 2013 by regeneratia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug1029 Posted November 14, 2013 #16 Share Posted November 14, 2013 HS stupid theory. LMAO. It's just evolution doing its thing. Maybe people will get smaller, but probably not fast enough that we'd notice it. We've got bigger problems to worry about. I'm sure we could agree on a long list, even if global warming isn't on it. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homo.liberis Posted November 27, 2013 #17 Share Posted November 27, 2013 I tire of these constant disinfo stories. What is it Goebbels said about big lies and repeating them? (sighs) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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