A species out of sync with its surroundings

For most of human history, people adapted to the rhythms of hunter-gatherer life — constant movement, occasional bursts of danger, and daily immersion in the natural world. But in just a few centuries, industrialization has transformed our environment far faster than our bodies can adjust.

Figure 1. Humans Are Naturally Built for the Outdoors, Not Urban Life.

Today we face an overload of noise, air and light pollution, microplastics, pesticides, nonstop sensory stimulation, artificial lighting, processed foods, and much more sedentary living. Figure 1 shows Humans Are Naturally Built for the Outdoors, Not Urban Life.

“In ancestral settings, we were built to handle short bursts of intense stress when escaping or confronting predators,” says Colin Shaw, who co-leads the Human Evolutionary EcoPhysiology (HEEP) research group with Daniel Longman. “A lion might appear now and then, and you'd need to react — but crucially, the lion eventually went away.”

Modern stressors — traffic, job pressure, social media, and constant noise — trigger the same biological stress systems, but without the relief that came after momentary threats.

“Our bodies treat all these pressures as if they were lions,” Longman explains. “Whether it’s a tense conversation with your boss or the sound of traffic, your stress response activates as though you're confronting predator after predator. You get a strong nervous-system reaction, but no chance to recover.”

Health and reproduction under stress

In their review, Shaw and Longman compile evidence suggesting that industrialization and urbanization may be undermining human evolutionary fitness. From an evolutionary standpoint, a species thrives when its members can survive and reproduce. The authors argue that both survival and reproductive success have been negatively affected since the onset of the Industrial Revolution.

They highlight declining global fertility rates and rising chronic inflammatory conditions, including autoimmune diseases, as indicators that modern environments are taking a biological toll. “It’s a paradox,” Shaw notes, “We’ve created immense wealth, comfort, and healthcare for many, but some industrial advancements are harming our immune, cognitive, physical, and reproductive health.”

A striking example is the global drop in sperm count and motility since the 1950s, which Shaw links to environmental factors. “Pesticides, herbicides in food, and microplastics are all believed to contribute,” he explains.

Designing environments for well-being

Technological and environmental changes are occurring far faster than biological evolution can keep pace. “Genetic adaptations take tens of thousands of years,” Shaw says. “Our bodies simply can’t evolve quickly enough to keep up with modern life.”

As a result, the mismatch between human physiology and today’s environment won’t resolve naturally. Shaw and Longman argue that societies must actively address this gap by rethinking our relationship with nature and designing healthier, more sustainable spaces.

“This requires both cultural and environmental strategies,” Shaw explains. “We need to treat nature as a crucial health factor, protecting and regenerating spaces that resemble those of our hunter-gatherer past. At the same time, cities should be designed to support human physiology.”

Shaw adds, “Our research can show which environmental stimuli affect blood pressure, heart rate, and immune function, providing guidance for policymakers. We need to get our cities right — and ensure we value, restore, and spend more time in natural spaces.”

Source: SciTECHDaily

Cite this article:

Priyadharshini S (2025), Research Reveals We’re Better Suited to Nature Than Modern Cities , AnaTechMaz, pp.1231