Paper short abstract:

Modern humans have departed from “Red Queen co-evolution”. This paper considers deviated human traits in the bio-social environment. Exploration of causes, modes and future prospects of our runaway requires integration among various biological and sociocultural studies.

Paper long abstract:

This paper considers modern humanity from an evolutionary runaway perspective. In nature co-evolutionary mechanisms within a body or ecosystem usually constrain a single biological system or species from becoming out-of -sync. Ever since human ancestors started manipulating the environment, especially after the industrial revolution, our body and mind have left the Red Queen behind. Modern human characteristics include runaway traits such as obesity, allergy, extended longevity, accelerated sexual maturation, excessive parental investment, overuse of resources, large-scaled warfare, addiction to drugs, sex and gambling. We could runaway mainly because of our evolutionary heritage that lacks sufficient control/brake mechanisms. Evolutionarily premature steps without optimization have been put forward as mere adaptive response at neural/physiological/cognitive levels. In industrialized countries including Japan, modern physiological traits have become serious social problems. Other runaway traits such as sophisticated arts/sciences and empathy/belief towards imaginary objects may owe their cognitive bases to symbolic mind and language, also evolutionary achievements. In understanding modern humanity, an evolutionary perspective along with knowledge of variation across time and space are essential. Exploration of the causes, modes and future prospects of human runaway requires integration among molecular biology, physiology, neuroscience and sociocultural studies.