Date of Award

Spring 2023

Degree Type

Thesis

Department

Anthropology

Director of Thesis

Joanna Casey

First Reader

Kelly Goldberg

Second Reader

Kelly Goldberg

Abstract

Speculative human evolution is a literature subgenre of science fiction that explores the potential future of humanity and descendant species. Little academic research has been done to evaluate the scientific accuracy of works of this genre or assess the relationship between the themes presented in the works and our current world. Future human species and their evolutionary journeys were assessed for scientific possibility through comparison with current research in fields such as anthropology, evolutionary biology, and sociology. It was found that the species depicted in works of speculative human evolution were largely based in scientific accuracy and could possibly exist in the near or far future. Furthermore, speculative human evolution as a genre was acknowledged as a useful mechanism for assessing current human interactions with the environment and how this may shape the species in the future.

First Page

1

Last Page

41

Rights

© 2023, Celeste T Johnson

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