Is human adaptability a reasonable solution to climate change?

Humans will not be able to adapt as much as we may have believed 

In regard to climate change, animals have always been seen as much more vulnerable to environmental change. However, new research suggests that humans may be just as vulnerable to climate change as other animals. 

The research from Nature Ecology and Evolution analysed genetic data from over a thousand people who lived in Asia and Europe over the past 45,000 years. From this, they found more than 50 "hard sweeps", a term given to a sudden mass report of deaths. These are most likely from a sudden change in conditions in which those who could not handle it died out. 

These hard sweeps have often only been believed to be a trait of other species, as there was little sign of them in the human population. With these new findings, it is now believed they were just simply hidden from mixing between different populations over the past 8,000 years. 

These new findings ultimately show that our reliance on "adapting" and developing new tools and techniques has not actually been enough to survive tough times. 

What is natural selection?

Human beings are an interesting species - we live in an enormous variety of environments from tropical forests all the way to the freezing Arctic. This is mainly due to human innovations such as clothing, shelter, and fire. However, genetic variability also helps individuals to be better adapted to certain conditions. This genetic adaption was named "natural selection" by Charles Darwin, and although often dubbed problematic over the years, it is these beneficial variations that have made future generations better suited to certain climates and changes.

It is still heavily debated whether genetic adaption in humans exists, especially as cultural innovations have made it almost unnecessary. 

What are the "Hard Sweeps" in human history?

The new research scanned more than a thousand ancient human genomes across Eurasia. The results, interestingly, showed hard sweeps were definitely a big part of human existence, making us not so different to other animal species. 

Our current understanding of human adaption and "natural selection", ultimately, may have been a little biased. This new research shows that humans have not adapted to environmental pressures as well as we may have originally believed, leaving it a nebulous solution to rely on in the face of climate change. 

Should we rely on natural selection anyway?

The very thought that humans should persist through environmental change ultimately should not be seen as a valid response to climate change. 

However, human history showcases that we, as a species, have always used resources and social contacts to help us survive in a constantly changing world. This could include new research into Direct Air Capture and Permanent Storage. Perhaps human adaptability shouldn't come from individuals and an outdated view of human selection, but from using tools and resources to reverse the effects of climate change. 

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