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Due to the advent of social networking and dating sites, it is now possible for almost anyone to find a potential mate. Therefore, there is not as much of a pressure based on physical characteristics or even intelligence anymore. Society does not present the same pressures as was historically present in nature to find food and avoid being killed by predators and potential mating rivals. Almost all alleles regardless of their characteristics are passed on to the next generation through someone or another and attractive traits are no longer chosen above deficient ones. The only exception often being conditions such as dwarfism, Down Syndrome or Parkinson's Disease where the recipients of disadvantageous alleles choose to remove themselves from the gene pool.

Therefore, does this mean that human evolution has been halted due to an absence of natural selection?

My question differs from "Has human medicine stopped humans evolving?" because my post focuses on societal and cultural changes as opposed to medical changes.

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  • $\begingroup$ "My question differs from "Has human medicine stopped humans evolving?" because my post focuses on societal and cultural changes as opposed to medical changes." Still a duplicate because the answer is still that humans continue to undergo strong natural selection, so it doesn't matter what you speculate is preventing natural selection, it isn't stopping natural selection. If this question is considered not a duplicate, you could then ask if Sugar-frosted Wheaties are stopping evolution, and then if bleached hair is stopping evolution ... doesn't matter since the premise is wrong. $\endgroup$
    – iayork
    Commented Jun 16, 2017 at 12:11
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    $\begingroup$ If the premise is wrong then respond by answering. Just because 2 + 3 and 7 - 2 have the same answer they are not the same question. $\endgroup$
    – Charlie
    Commented Jun 16, 2017 at 12:21
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    $\begingroup$ On top of the two posts marked as duplicate, you might also want to consider the post Is there evolution in humans since the first homo sapiens sapiens $\endgroup$
    – Remi.b
    Commented Jun 16, 2017 at 14:38
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    $\begingroup$ "Due to the advent of social networking and dating sites, it is now possible for almost anyone to find a potential mate." - Citation needed. $\endgroup$
    – Bryan Krause
    Commented Jun 16, 2017 at 16:34
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    $\begingroup$ Evolution is an attribute of complex adaptive systems, it is a mistake to consider it as just a biological phenomenon. Human physiology, culture, society, economics and the environment, and so on, are all examples of complex adaptive systems, and interdependent (actually not separate). Evolution is inherent in the system, it never ceases. $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 16, 2017 at 20:59

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