Richard Archer wrote:

>
> Surely this damages the claim that modern humans are genetically
> identical to our 40,000 year old ancestors. Here we have a specific
> adaptation to a food which has evolved independently in at least
> three cultures.
>
> This also reminds me of something else I saw once... a map of Europe
> marked with incidence of celiac disease. There was an increase in the
> disease as the distance from the Middle East increased. Seems to me
> that this must be due to an adaptation to a grain-based diet.
>
> Looks to me as if evolution moves a lot faster than some people give
> it credit for.


Celiac disease and lactose intolerance are extreme. A person who had these
problems would be very unlikely to survive and make progeny compared to
someone who was better adapted.

But that does not mean that the better adapted person has evolved so that he
or she thrives on cow's milk or grains. In a society where everyone has
begun consuming those products, many people might have significant medical
problems resulting from the consumption, but would still reproduce.

--Richard