Different environmental conditions will cause the descendants of people who will colonize other worlds to differ from the people on Earth.
Colonization of space and new worlds seems to be the next step in the evolution of civilization and, possibly, of our species. Some researchers and enthusiasts are considering the possibility of leaving the planet for the sake of adventure or even driven by as many objective factors as possible: global warming, overpopulation or some pandemic virus like coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) . Currently, the technology we have does not allow us to turn such plans into reality, but that does not mean that we should not consider what the impact of a colonization of space might be on our species.
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The evolution of a species is closely linked to the environment and the challenges it brings to survival, given that conditions have remained relatively stable over the last thousand years, Homo sapiens, our species, has not needed major changes. However, such a radical change in the living environment: in environments with microgravity or with different amounts of radiation from those on Earth, it will certainly leave an impact on our species.
The bones
A number of SF authors, as well as researchers, have studied this issue and come to the conclusion that differences in gravity may change the density of our bones. Thus, some theorize that, for example, human settlers on a planet with a higher gravity than Earth will develop denser bones in order to support their weight.
Scott Solomon, an expert in evolutionary biology, argues in one of his books that leaving the planet will change us, here involving natural selection and genetic variations, to obtain those traits that help optimal adaptation to environmental conditions.
Space will change us
Whether we are talking about space travel to other planets or just limited missions in Earth orbit, microgravity affects us in a multitude of ways. A number of studies show that an environment with less severity than that on Earth will lead to a considerable decrease in bone density, anatomical transformations of the eye, changes in brain structure and even changes in the microbiome.
However, we must point out that, with the return to Earth conditions, human bodies seem to return to normal, even if at different rates depending on the period and characteristics specific to each individual who has spent a certain amount of time in space-bar.
Future generations
On earth, evolution plays an important role in determining how we look today, however, given the complexity of our social and cultural relationships, any analysis of the new generations must take both aspects into account. Thus, in addition to our genetic baggage, scientists also take into account the way we live. Thus, details like gravity or the amount of radiation our bodies absorb due to the ships or habitats we use are analyzed.
Scott Solomon argues in his book "Future Humans" that, under microgravity conditions, new generations of people with thicker bones may appear. Although it seems counterintuitive, he argues that an important part of the minerals we need to grow intrauterine come from our mothers' bones. Thus, for a woman to survive a pregnancy in space she should have, from the start, a higher bone density, over time, this will lead to the birth of people whose bone density could be higher than that of to the people of today, precisely to counteract the problems associated with microgravity.
The founder effect
When the colonization of other planets becomes a tangible reality, we must bear in mind that only certain people will be able to become the vanguard of human expansion. What this means? That communities that will form outside of Earth will have limited genetic diversity, which in genetics is called the founder effect. This means that the choice of the first settlers will have profound effects on the genes that will manifest in successive generations.
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"It always happens on Earth. Every time a new island rises from the sea, there will be some plants and some insects and other species that will eventually make their way there. And whatever characteristics and traits they have, they will be the characteristics that will be present in that population ", explains Dr. Solomon.
Under these conditions, explains Dr. Solomon, there is a possibility of a phenomenon that we could call "spatial eugenics", in which certain populations encounter problems related to obtaining a position on a colonist ship or space jobs in the cause of the genetic baggage that could make them more prone to certain problems caused by microgravity or radiation.
