title: Will man need the vestibular system in generations to come?  A slightly heretical review.
abstract: Some people are of the opinion, that man's evolution reached a plateau when he became self-aware.  Thus, the argument goes, he was enabled to reflect on what happened to him and what he did to his environment.  Subsequent to that man would think ahead to the consequences of his actions and thereby actively shape his future to ensure optimal survival of his species.  And this state of course no longer could be called evolution in the classical sense.  Need one comment on the vanity of the hope for such a state?  Let us assume then, that the evolution of man has not ended, but will continue and that man has barely a clue, yet, as to the direction it may lead.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Physiology, Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wetzig
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001717:Birds; D005399:Fishes; D018466:Gravity Sensing / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007313:Insecta; D007448:Invertebrates; D008322:Mammals; D009949:Orientation; D010037:Otolithic Membrane / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D012679:Sense Organs; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*