Evolution of Feet: Adaptation and Research

[drag]

Greetings !

Abviously our feet have evolved to be different after
we got down from the trees. Further more, the fingers on
our feet are now small and of rather little use by comparisson.
Have there been any reseacrh works or maybe those adaptation
computer studies (like the one where the eye was shown
to evolve out of an original layer of light sensitive cells,
on a computer of course) that tell us what our new feet will
look like ?

Thanks !

Live long and prosper.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I would think that given enough time, and given that we evolve as a technological species, then no preferred foot design should have any advantage over any other. So maybe our feet will start going in all different directions.

 

[drag]

Well I realize that this is mostly a hypothetical question
because in reality we'll probably be geneticly engeenering
ourselves into whatever we want in less than a century so
evolution won't make a difference for our spiecies or potentialy
many others we control, in the future. However, it's still an interesting question for some of us, I guess...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Originally posted by drag
Well I realize that this is mostly a hypothetical question
because in reality we'll probably be geneticly engeenering
ourselves into whatever we want in less than a century so
evolution won't make a difference for our spiecies or potentialy
many others we control, in the future. However, it's still an interesting question for some of us, I guess...

Yes. Our feet will probably eventually function as USB 5000 ports.

 

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Have there been any reseacrh works or maybe those adaptation computer studies (like the one where the eye was shown to evolve out of an original layer of light sensitive cells, on a computer of course) that tell us what our new feet will look like ?

I don't think so, but I'll search a bit just because I'm curious.
However I have seen this weekend on Animal Planet some weird show in which a smiling guy assured me that in 200 Myears the monkeys will have 8 legs and snail-like eyes...

 

[plus]

There is no reason to prefer any foot shape above any other at the minute, unless there is some correlation between foot size and likelihood to have numbers of children, which I doubt. Thus foot size/ shape will stay roughly as it is now.

 

[Another God]

Tomorrow night (in australia) Discovery channell is playing "The Future is Wild" which is a documentary about what the future might be like RE evolution. It looks like it is going to hypothesise about what animals will be like a few million years in the future.

 

[Phobos]

Good luck predicting future evolution!

Originally posted by plus
There is no reason to prefer any foot shape above any other at the minute, unless there is some correlation between foot size and likelihood to have numbers of children, which I doubt.

Well, you know what they say about big feet...

but seriously, once global warming melts the ice caps and we're all living under 10 ft of water, then bigger feet will make better flippers in this new environment...

ok, that wasn't serious

 

[drag]

Greetings !

Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
Yes. Our feet will probably eventually function as USB 5000 ports.

I like that one... We probably won't have anywhere to walk
anyway...

Originally posted by plus
There is no reason to prefer any foot shape above any other at the minute, unless there is some correlation between foot size and likelihood to have numbers of children, which I doubt. Thus foot size/ shape will stay roughly as it is now.

Well, abviosly the fingers on our feet have de-evolved and
the process will probably continue.

Originally posted by Another God
It looks like it is going to hypothesise about what animals will be like a few million years in the future.

At the rate we're moving at today the only animals left in
a few million years will be us. That is, if you'll
recognize that as us...

Originally posted by Phobos
but seriously, once global warming melts the ice caps and we're all living under 10 ft of water, then bigger feet will make better flippers in this new environment...

I think the updated version is that once the global
warming increases and the melting ice will disrupt
the currents between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans,
the Earth will freeze in a matter of several years.
So, I guess will need ski-feet...

Originally posted by Phobos
ok, that wasn't serious

Did you notice the smiley in the thread's name ?

Live long and prosper.

 

[maximus]

Originally posted by drag
Well, abviosly the fingers on our feet have de-evolved and
the process will probably continue.

true, our toes are less useful than they used to be, but don't sell them off yet. they're still almost essencial for balance and coordination. so unless we evolve some other freaky tool (like a tail) we probably will be holding on to our toes for sometime.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Originally posted by maximus
we probably will be holding on to our toes for sometime.

That settles it. I'm holding on to my toes.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by maximus
true, our toes are less useful than they used to be, but don't sell them off yet. they're still almost essencial for balance and coordination. so unless we evolve some other freaky tool (like a tail) we probably will be holding on to our toes for sometime.

That is also true. This is more in the direction I was
originally interested in. Our toes and other fingers are
essential, but they could still de-evolve completely and
turn into a two or three part leg (like an ellephant's, for
example) given enough time and a chance.

Live long and prosper.

 

[Phobos]

There's no such thing as de-evolution (biologically speaking). Evolution is just change. There is no preferential direction other than adaptation to current environments.

Our toes are not less evolved than our ancestors who had more prehensile toes. They may do better in the trees, but we do better on the ground. Different adaptations for different uses. Our ancestors were not forced out of the trees because their toes were getting less useful.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by Phobos
There's no such thing as de-evolution (biologically speaking). Evolution is just change. There is no preferential direction other than adaptation to current environments.

Our toes are not less evolved than our ancestors who had more prehensile toes. They may do better in the trees, but we do better on the ground. Different adaptations for different uses. Our ancestors were not forced out of the trees because their toes were getting less useful.

Indeed. We don't want to misguide all the kids that
read this.
(btw, any suggestions on what other single word I can
use every time instead of writing the whole story of
the fingers getting smaller/shorter(/fewer joints ?) ? )

Peace and long life.

 

[Phobos]

Originally posted by drag
(btw, any suggestions on what other single word I can
use every time instead of writing the whole story of
the fingers getting smaller/shorter(/fewer joints ?) ? )

um...er...let me get back to you on that!

 

[maximus]

Originally posted by drag
Indeed. We don't want to misguide all the kids that
read this.

i can't help but feel you were thinking of me when you were posting this, seeing as how i once posted a thread entitled "is de-evolution taking place?". but if you read it it might make more sense and seem less stupid.

(btw, any suggestions on what other single word I can
use every time instead of writing the whole story of
the fingers getting smaller/shorter(/fewer joints ?) ? )

i cannot recall the term that describes the process of organs becoming scarce through evolution, but i remember that the term vestigal organs is used to describe an organ which is no longer of use to the organism.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by maximus
i can't help but feel you were thinking of me when you were posting this, seeing as how i once posted a thread entitled "is de-evolution taking place?". but if you read it it might make more sense and seem less stupid.

Not at all !
That was actualy directed at myself only, because I wanted to
give Phobos a "hint" that I agree with him and that I do know
that de-evolution is not the right term(or a known one, at all)
to use here (I just couldn't think of and do not know a better
one, for now).

Live long and prosper.