Study: Humans Almost Went Extinct 70,000 Years Ago

Fox News ^ | Thursday, April 24, 2008 | AP

[Sopater]

WASHINGTON — Human beings may have had a brush with extinction 70,000 years ago, an extensive genetic study suggests.

The human population at that time was reduced to small isolated groups in Africa, apparently because of drought, according to an analysis released Thursday.

The report notes that a separate study by researchers at Stanford University estimated the number of early humans may have shrunk as low as 2,000 before numbers began to expand again in the early Stone Age.

[Sopater]

Also about 4,500 years ago because of flooding.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

It was the SUV’s; (vide Flintstones).

[Frank_Discussion]

Bush’s Fault.

[rednesss]

I thought this was caused by the Toba volcano eruption.

[Hacklehead]

Floods, droughts, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, volcanos, tsunamis; the earth has been trying to kill us for >100,000 years. It’s time we returned the favor.

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

There were was a housing bubble and a rice shortage at the time.

[American Quilter]

Gee, how did such a tiny group of humans manage to cause a worldwide drought?

[GingisK]

A little setback now and then tends to cull the herd. We’re overdue.

[gridlock]

This is a green weenie’s fantasy come true.

[American Quilter]

LOL!

[Question Liberal Authority]

So we were an endangered species due to global climate change. I say we put humans on the Endangered Species List. Then it will be illegal to kill humans in their embryonic form.

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

"The Toba eruption (the Toba event) occurred at what is now Lake Toba about 67,500 to 75,500 years ago."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toba_eruption

[Resolute Conservative]

Yep.

[ConservaTexan]

Study: Humans Almost Went Extinct 70,000 Years Ago

Should have called GEICO.

[Always Right]

The human population at that time was reduced to small isolated groups in Africa, apparently because of drought, according to an analysis released Thursday.

Does this mean we should all put "African-Americans" down as our race????

[gridlock]

I guess some drivers refused to retrofit their 68,003BC Hummer H2s with modern pollution controls, leading to this environmental disaster...

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

wikipedia:

Though the year can never be precisely determined, the season can: only the summer monsoon could have deposited Toba ashfall in the South China Sea, implying that the eruption took place sometime during the northern summer.[7] The eruption lasted perhaps two weeks, but the ensuing "volcanic winter" resulted in a decrease in average global temperatures by 3 to 3.5 degrees Celsius for several years. Greenland ice cores record a pulse of starkly reduced levels of organic carbon sequestration. Very few plants or animals in southeast Asia would have survived, and it is possible that the eruption caused a planet-wide die-off. There is some evidence, based on mitochondrial DNA, that the human race may have passed through a genetic bottleneck within this timeframe, reducing genetic diversity below what would be expected from the age of the species. According to the Toba catastrophe theory proposed by Stanley H. Ambrose of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1998, human populations may have been reduced to only a few tens of thousands of individuals by the Toba eruption.[8]

[Mr. Lucky]

Ethanol.

[LiteKeeper]

Agreed!

[rockinqsranch]

“The human population at that time was reduced to small isolated groups in Africa, apparently because of drought,.....”

Natural causes rather than Dem/Leftist-Greenie induced causes.

[BigCinBigD]

That must be why to this day. You cant get good help at 7-11.

[pepsionice]

This was caused during global warming, version 1.0. During these pitiful years....humans set too many campfires, killed too many turtles and mammoths....and refused to dig pits for toilet purposes.

Later...as Al Gorestone preached to Krog and Becky about their wasteful lifestyle...everyone got carbon in their lifestyle and agreed to buy carbon credits from Gorestone...with shiny black rocks. Sadly, Krog wasn’t honest about this business...and still lit too many campfires. Later, Becky got close to a member of the Gorestone society, and ran away with another caveman. This set Krog back a bit...and he had to visit with Dr Philstone who got Krog’s grove back into circulation.

Krog ended up on “Dancing with Cavmen”...where he placed 3rd and was offered a job with “Hot-Rocks-R-Us” and became a star salesman. As Krog made it big...he left in pursuit a new gal...and headed north out of the drought area...and met Carla who was a bit of a flirt but definitely Krog’s type

[Little Bill]

ping

[Repeal 16-17]

This is a green weenie’s fantasy come true.

The truly radical environmentalists are saying "so close."

[muawiyah]

There were climate changes pursuant to the Toba eruption.

Drought? Certainly.

[toddlintown]

There’s a culling going on in Chicago.

[pabianice]

Paleontologist Meave Leakey, a Genographic adviser, commented: "Who would have thought that as recently as 70,000 years ago, extremes of climate had reduced our population to such small numbers that we were on the very edge of extinction?"

What a dumbass. Hard to believe he's/she's a grandson/daughter of Louis Leaky. Global Warming garbage stuffed into what was to be a science article.

[chilepepper]

This is not "news" by any means.

What is remarkable are some of the theories of how the humans survived this period. One very famous theory is that humans moved to the litoral zones (e.g. - the seashore) and became semi-aquatic fish catchers for thousands of years, and in the process started to lose much of their body hair and become more 'streamlined' heading in the same evolutionary direction as the dolphins.

[weegee]

Yeah but that was Wrath of God.

[ricks_place]

Man was nearly extinct 70,000 years ago...

Massive Flintstone mobile induced global warming!

[weegee]

And open pit barbecue...

[muleskinner]

Hmmm. I suspect those with was less hair = less bugs = less disease. They survived to reproduce.

[stuartcr]

That’s why we learned how to make nukes...

[stuartcr]

Or mesopotamians

[Mike Darancette]

The human population at that time was reduced to small isolated groups in Africa, apparently because of drought, according to an analysis released Thursday.

Where did the Neanderthals hang out and how did they survive?

[jimmyray]

Also about 4,500 years ago because of flooding.

Yep. And it was only 8, not a few thousand. Oh yeah, and it was near Mt Ararat, modern day Turkey, not Africa. Oh well, science will eventually get there...

[squarebarb]

Yes, that’s what I thought. The Toba explosion created a genetic bottleneck along the coast and interior of India.

[wastedyears]

Only 2000 humans might have been left? Wouldn’t that generation of children be pretty inbred?

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

Ethanol.

Sucks as a internal combustion engine fuel, try it w/ grapefruit juice on the rocks.

Regards,
GtG

[Sopater]

Where did the Neanderthals hang out and how did they survive?

I would imagine that during the drought, they ate those who were not like them, causing the near extinction of humans. When it was scientifically found that the drought (later called "global climate change") was actually caused by the flatulence produced by the growing numbers of humanivorous Neanderthals, regulations were quickly implemented that made it difficult at first, and eventually impossible for them to survive. Their caves were foreclosed upon and those that didn't assimilate to the new "culture" were eventually weeded out and eradicated from the population.

It's just a theory, but I'm sure the DNA would tell the same story if you would just ask it.

[deuteronlmy232]

Human beings may have had a brush with extinction 70,000 years ago, an extensive genetic study suggests.

No, the flood was just a bit less than 4,000 years ago. Idiot journalist can't even do simple arithmetic. Must have gone to a NYC public school.

[Dominic01]

glad i wasnt alive to hear this on the MSM then

[chilepepper]

less hair == more likely to die due to exposure to cold or to heat.

living-near-the-litoral == more fish protein for brain development

[rednesss]

"living-near-the-litoral == more fish"

There's a joke in there somewhere. C if you can find it.

[GingisK]

That’s why we learned how to make nukes...

Its back to basics after a nuclear war, crawling out of the ashes and all.

I suspect the human race has risen and fallen numerous times, especially once his toys are too big for his britches.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Little Bill.

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[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

http://video.aol.com/video/tv-the-flintstones-theme-song-sing-along/1816757

[SunkenCiv]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2213874040766551699

[roaddog727]

“A little setback now and then tends to cull the herd. We’re overdue.”

Bingo.