Are humans interfering with or a part of evolution happening today? Find examples of evolution seen in recent history that could be caused by human...

The
impact of human activities can be noticed everywhere, including in the evolution of species. It
is surprising to note that even among human beings, evolution is still going on, and we are also
driving the evolution among a large number of species.

Evolution is a natural
process that allows organisms with specific traits (or characteristics) to outcompete their
compatriots. This may happen over a number of life cycles. These specific traits allow organisms
to survive better than those without these traits.

Some examples of
anthropogenic activities that shape the evolution of organisms include pollution,
industrialization, eutrophication, climate change, invasion of invasive species, domestication
of species, habitat fragmentation, hunting, fishing, and so on.

Human beings
have favored particular organisms for their specific characteristics and this has resulted in
evolutionary changes. Commercial fishing, for example, is based on capturing large fishes. This
has caused some fish species to become smaller while the others have started reaching maturity
at a younger age and smaller size.

Another example of human interference in
evolution is the color of peppered moths. In the 1800s, industrialization resulted in the
pollution covering tree trunks. This caused the light-colored peppered moths to stand out easily
for the predators. The result was a drastic reduction in the population of light-colored
peppered moths. When the pollution was cleaned up in the 1970s, the population of peppered moths
shifted back towards the light-colored moths, since the dark-colored moths now became easy prey
for the predators.

Antibiotic resistance among various pathogens and
insecticide resistance among mice are other examples of evolution being driven by human
activities.

Evolutionary changes are still taking place among human beings.
An example is the field of medical sciences. The availability of good medical care has resulted
in low levels of certain diseases in some parts of the world. In other regions, the evolutionary
changes are still taking place in the human population in response to diseases such as malaria
and Lassa fever. People living in regions of high altitude have evolved to survive in those
places. An example is the genetic changes in the people of Tibet, which allows them a higher
blood oxygen level, thus enabling better survival in higher altitudes.

Hope
this helps.