How will humankind look in the future?
Scientists have reportedly created an image of the future human face, shedding light on how our species may appear in the near future. The human face has changed significantly over the last two million years, and researchers believe this transformation is ongoing, as our faces continue to evolve to better respond to new needs and conditions.
While some facial functions are expected to remain the same, others will need to adapt and evolve to accommodate future realities. Facial expressions have transitioned from intimidating to more harmonious, as humans have become increasingly social and cooperative. As a result, the human face has evolved into the most expressive among all species on Earth.
International experts suggest that significant changes to the human face are closely tied to the evolution of brain size. However, it remains unclear whether humans are expressive because of our brain size or if our brain developed to accommodate our expressiveness. The human face’s familiarity does not imply that this is a prevalent feature in nature, as Penny Spikins, a paleolithic archaeologist at York University, explains that our facial characteristics are unique.
The future us?
David Perrett, a researcher at the University of St. Andrews and author of “In Your Face: The New Science of Human Attraction,” says that changes in diet also impact the shape of the face. Over the past 6 to 7 million years, our faces have evolved significantly from our common ancestor with chimpanzees. Erik Trinkaus, a professor at the Department of Anthropology at the University of Washington, notes that the basic form of the human face emerged about two million years ago.
If the human skull continues to evolve, scientists expect a process known as “neoteny” to occur, resulting in a smaller face, proportionally larger eye orbits, a less prominent chin, and a more globular and developed cranial vault. In other words, future humans may have a smaller face and larger cranium compared to people today. However, for this evolution to take place, a change in the female pelvis would be necessary, as the birth canal is already quite narrow, leading to many premature births and postnatal maturation.
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