Haves and Chavs - how man will look in the year 102,000

Last updated at 13:29 16 October 2006

Social division might split humans into two sub-species 100,000 years from now - just as HG Wells

predicted.

The descendants of the genetic upper class would be tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent,

and creative.

They would be a far cry from the "underclass" humans who will have evolved into dim-witted, ugly, squat goblin-like creatures.

The forecast was made by evolution expert Dr Oliver Curry, who spent two months investigating the ascent and descent of man over the next 100 millennia.

Novelist HG Wells predicted a similar gloomy outcome for humanity in The Time Machine.

He envisaged a race of privileged beings, the Eloi, who lived above ground and were prey for

the cannibalistic ape-like Morlocks, who toiled underground.

According to Dr Curry, the human race is likely to peak in the year 3,000, before collapsing.

Within a thousand years, humans will evolve to between six and seven feet tall. Improved

nutrition and medical science will see people growing taller and fitter and to 120 years.

Physical appearance, driven by indicators of health, youth and fertility, will improve.

Men will have symmetrical facial features with squarer jaws, look athletic and have deeper voices and bigger penises.

Women’s skin will be lighter with large clear eyes, pert breasts, and glossy hair.

Interbreeding will produce a uniform race of

coffee-coloured people.

But the golden age of the beautiful people will not last forever, warns Dr Curry.

In 10,000 years, humans may have paid a genetic

price for relying on technology and spoiled by gadgets designed to meet their every need, they

could come to resemble domesticated animals.

Social skills could be lost, along with emotions such as love, sympathy, trust and respect.

Physically, they would start to appear more juvenile.

Chins would recede, as a result of having to chew less on processed food.

There could also be health problems caused by reliance on medicine.

Weak immune systems might be one result.

Much further into the future, sexual selection - being choosy about one’s partner - was likely

to create more and more genetic inequality.

The logical outcome would be two sub-species,

"gracile" and "robust" humans representing the rich and poor.

Dr Curry from the Darwin@LSE research centre at

the London School of Economics, was commissioned to carry out the study by the men’s satellite TV channel Bravo.

He said: "The report suggests that the future of man will be a story of the good, the bad and the ugly."

"Things could get ugly, with the possible emergence of genetic "haves" and "have-nots."