| || | Ask Marilyn: Nearsightedness and Evolution Stu Lewis of
Prairie Village, Kansas, writes: Marilyn: I think there were
some better answers you could have given about evolution and
nearsightedness. (September 9, 2012) One could respond to your
answer by asking why the body has not developed better defenses
against this condition. (1) Nearsightedness primarily affects
one's ability to read. This became a survival skill relatively
recently in human history, too recently to have been affected by
evolution. (2) This condition normally occurs later in life.
Evolution affects only characteristics that appear before or
during one's child-bearing years. You imply that myopia also may
have been common throughout human history, but because it didn't
affect survival until recently, it hasn't been affected by
evolution. I don't agree. Myopia affects the ability to see
clearly what one holds in one's hands and what one does with
one's hands, which has certainly been a survival skill
throughout mankind's existence. And