UM-Bot Posted May 22, 2019 #1 Share Posted May 22, 2019 An evolutionary biologist has outlined what is likely to happen when people start living full-time on Mars. https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/327914/humans-on-mars-could-become-a-new-species 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pallidin Posted May 22, 2019 #2 Share Posted May 22, 2019 Well, ok, I suppose that's possible. So what should we call them... perhaps "Mearthlings"? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pallidin Posted May 22, 2019 #3 Share Posted May 22, 2019 If a baby is conceived and born on our Moon, will it be called a "Moonie"? Tough questions. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zep73 Posted May 22, 2019 #4 Share Posted May 22, 2019 2 hours ago, UM-Bot said: Humans on Mars could become a new species I would go further and say that humans living on Mars must become a new species, or they are doomed. Evolution is equal to adaption to the environment. Evolve or die. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orphalesion Posted May 22, 2019 #5 Share Posted May 22, 2019 That of course assumes that there would be no frequent gene flow between the Humans of Earth and the Humans of Mars. So first Earth and Mars would have to be isolated from each for a huge amount of time. And there'd have to be a viable breeding population of humans on Mars as well. 1 hour ago, pallidin said: If a baby is conceived and born on our Moon, will it be called a "Moonie"? Tough questions. I still want to become a Trappistrian. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tatetopa Posted May 22, 2019 #6 Share Posted May 22, 2019 A separate species will require genetic isolation I think. Colonists and visitors can't be rotating back and forth between earth and Mars and interbreeding. Living in domes with earth atmosphere and growing earth plants to eat is going to slow the process down. Changing gravity and distance from the sun might contribute to change on the other hand. Why would you develop stronger and denser bones under low gravity? That doesn't seem to be necessary and goes against observations from year long stays in the space station. Bones would get weaker, maybe immune systems too. Sure maybe people would be smaller and more nearsighted and a different color (darker?) That is a long way from a separate species. We evolved with earth bacteria and absolutely require the symbiotic partners we have in our digestive tract. If those go away we would be in trouble. Natural selection might not do it, genetic engineering might if it is something that people want to happen. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orphalesion Posted May 23, 2019 #7 Share Posted May 23, 2019 2 hours ago, Tatetopa said: a different color (darker?) That is a long way from a separate species. On that topic....when would there even be a situation when a person on Mars would be exposed to unfiltered, Martian sunlight? They'd either be in a building with special reinforced windows (if any) to shield them from the radiation or in a protection suit. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pallidin Posted May 23, 2019 #8 Share Posted May 23, 2019 7 minutes ago, Orphalesion said: On that topic....when would there even be a situation when a person on Mars would be exposed to unfiltered, Martian sunlight? They'd either be in a building with special reinforced windows (if any) to shield them from the radiation or in a protection suit. True. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver_Raven Posted May 23, 2019 #9 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Considering this already happens on Earth, a species adapting to a new environment, it kind of seemed obvious. The same thing would happen if humans started living in space stations/ships or in under water colonies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freetoroam Posted May 23, 2019 #10 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Quote They could also end up with a different skin tone to help protect against harmful radiation. https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/327914/humans-on-mars-could-become-a-new-species I would have thought they would have to be protected from this in the first place or they either all die or obviously, the children will be born disformed or may not survive at all. A human skin tone can not protect them against harmful radiation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susanc241 Posted May 23, 2019 #11 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Why would you develop stronger and denser bones under low gravity? That doesn't seem to be necessary and goes against observations from year long stays in the space station. Bones would get weaker, That was going to be my question too but you beat me to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcom Posted May 23, 2019 #12 Share Posted May 23, 2019 (edited) 8 hours ago, Orphalesion said: On that topic....when would there even be a situation when a person on Mars would be exposed to unfiltered, Martian sunlight? They'd either be in a building with special reinforced windows (if any) to shield them from the radiation or in a protection suit. 8 hours ago, pallidin said: True. Not true, l wish people would stop going to NASA, and do a little more research, Mars has a strong magnetic field in places on the surface, so if they land in the right area, then protection from the sun, (which is 20% smaller than on earth) would pose no problems. You don't need a molten, iron spinning core like earth to have a magnetic field, just a hell of a lot of rare earth or mars magnetic deposits in one area. Mars mountains dwarf ours in height and if one has substantial amounts of strong magnetic material then we are set. I have recently seen raw pebbles with rare earth like properties, so it is possible, (based on recent findings, it has to be). The rest about mars and what NASA tells us, is a bit like man made global warming, sounds good, until it falls apart. Or humanity gets the little, golden book version. Edited May 23, 2019 by tmcom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdbuilder Posted May 24, 2019 #13 Share Posted May 24, 2019 It better happen before we go. It would take a different species to live on Mars. We are not designed for a sequestered existence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcom Posted May 24, 2019 #14 Share Posted May 24, 2019 13 hours ago, mdbuilder said: It better happen before we go. It would take a different species to live on Mars. We are not designed for a sequestered existence. True, we would mutate on Mars, ask Schwarzenegger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenemet Posted May 24, 2019 #15 Share Posted May 24, 2019 On 5/22/2019 at 4:58 PM, pallidin said: If a baby is conceived and born on our Moon, will it be called a "Moonie"? Tough questions. Lunatic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon the frog Posted May 25, 2019 #16 Share Posted May 25, 2019 Kid raised on a world with less gravity would probably be not build strong enough to survive well on earth... and without any genetic change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred_mc Posted May 26, 2019 #17 Share Posted May 26, 2019 I think this is probably only true if those with less advantageous genes are not able to reproduce as much as those with more advantageous genes. However, we humans have pretty advanced healthcare and we care about people with diseases so I think that won't happen, also those with genes less advantageous for living on Mars will spread their genes on to the next generation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now