Posted on 01/19/2010 4:21:03 AM PST by Pharmboy
From the composition of just two human genomes, geneticists have computed the size of the human population 1.2 million years ago from which everyone in the world is descended.
They put the number at 18,500 people, but this refers only to breeding individuals, the “effective” population. The actual population would have been about three times as large, or 55,500.
Comparable estimates for other primates then are 21,000 for chimpanzees and 25,000 for gorillas. In biological terms, it seems, humans were not a very successful species, and the strategy of investing in larger brains than those of their fellow apes had not yet produced any big payoff. Human population numbers did not reach high levels until after the advent of agriculture.
Geneticists have long known that the ancestors of modern humans numbered as few as 10,000 at some time in the last 100,000 years. The critically low number suggested that some catastrophe, like disease or climate change induced by a volcano, had brought humans close to the brink of extinction.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
like disease or climate change induced by ....
the invention of fire, of course.
wow! that’s not a lot of people!
"...modern humans numbered as few as 10,000 at some time in the last 100,000 years. The critically low number suggested that some catastrophe, like ...climate change.... had brought humans close to the brink of extinction.
Hmmm, standard Global Warming alarmist boiler-plate - don't journalists think for themselves anymore?
Yep...I winced at the latter also.
Just think of the tons and tons of coal those 10000 people had to burn to induce climate change.
Yes, their spear and loincloth factories must have run 24/7 nonstop!
No, that’s not GW boilerplate. That’s a fact.. About 70,000 years ago, the Toba volcano erupted in the largest volcanic eruption presently known. It ejected 550 CUBIC KILOMETERS of rock into the air. It extinguished virtually all human life east of India, and most of Africa and the Middle East. Estimates that are pretty rock solid indicate that the human population of the Earth was reduced to less thaan 10,000 individuals, perhaps fewer than 5,000.
No joke. And this was not that long ago in geological terms. Much the same thing could happen again if the Yellowstone caldera goes up.
..... the strategy of investing in larger brains than those of their fellow apes had not yet produced any big payoff.
Ah! A Financial Report on the NY Times.
How nice of them to make it public.
"...the strategy of investing in larger brains than those of their fellow apes had not yet produced any big payoff...."
*** Hmmm, standard Global Warming alarmist boiler-plate - don't journalists think for themselves anymore? ***
No. This is not about 'Globular Warming'.(sic)
It's a Financial Report on the NY Times.
;-)
The Supervolcano Toba effectively culled the herd and only the strongest survived. We would be hit harder if it happened today.
You sir are correct. The Toba eruption was similar in size to the largest Yellowstone eruption. (i.e. not a good thing for anything that wants to live)
Hi, cuz!
And this shows me that 130 years of keeping records of earth temperatures does not make a complete record. Would have to go back millions of years, with minute detail.
But then all the illegals arrived there and the population tripled over night.
I think you are wrong, I think it was their SUVs~
Thanks for your adding to this thread...good data.
ping
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