Posted on 07/14/2004 8:53:47 AM PDT by blam
New twist on out-of-Africa theory
Judy Skatssoon
ABC Science Online
Wednesday, 14 July 2004
Homo erectus, the species thought to be the first to leave Africa for Eurasia in the out-of-Africa model of human origin (Image: Science)
Early humans made love, not war, according to new DNA analysis presented at a genetics conference that gives a new twist on the out-of-Africa hypothesis of human origins.
U.S. researcher Professor Alan Templeton of Washington University, St Louis, debunks the prevailing version of the out-of-Africa hypothesis, which says early humans migrated from Africa and wiped out Eurasian populations.
Instead, they bred, he told the Genetics Society of Australia's annual conference in Melbourne this week.
Templeton said his evidence didn't support the so-called replacement theory in which African hominids caused the extinction of other Homo species.
Instead, he said his analysis of the human genome showed prehistoric gene-swapping created a single evolutionary lineage beginning in Africa and ending where we are today.
He looked at mitochondrial DNA, as well as DNA on a range of chromosomes including X and Y.
"The genetic legacy of current humans is predominantly of African origin," he said.
Templeton is the first to suggest expansion out of Africa occurred in three waves: 2 million years ago, 800,000 years ago and 100,000 years ago.
The alternative view suggests that expansion out of Africa occurred twice and caused the genetic extinction of existing populations, with the colonisers later diversifying into separate races.
What about races?
But Templeton said this extinction never happened and a combination of movement and interbreeding meant diversification of races didn't occur.
"We really have to abandon the idea of race. It actually does not reflect the genetic differences we can now measure in an objective fashion."
Templeton said the differences between human populations today were based on geography not genetics.
This meant a Norwegian would be more closely related than a Fijian to someone from sub-Saharan Africa.
"We do see differences in different regions of the world but the best indicator of those differences is simply geographical distance and not things like skin colour."
Templeton said his data was inconclusive on whether interbreeding also occurred with Neanderthals.
But he said there was fossil evidence that this probably occurred, which would imply a bit of Neanderthal could live on in us all.
Australian geneticist Associate Professor Philip Batterham from the University of Melbourne said the research showed humanity was far more closely related that previously thought and that race was a cultural phenomenon.
Templeton's research was published in the journal Nature in March 2002.
GGG Ping.
I am full blooded Neanderthal.
"The genetic legacy of current humans is predominantly of African origin,"
Where are my reparations?
If there was some disaster ~80,000 ya which decreased the Homo Sapiens to 5,000-10,000 individuals how can genetic studies of earlier populations be made?
Homo erectus
-hahahaha (ya so I am childish, sue me)
Ping-a-ling.
I really dislike this type of idle speculation being tossed out into the open. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big believer in the ToE and such, but this type of pseudo-guessing simply lends credence to those who claim that the ToE is so fluid that it's utterly worthless. This, in my opinion, is the result of mixing the science behind the ToE with the pseudo-science of archaeology. I think that's a pretty risky thing to do, as it can lead us off into a dozen wrong directions at once, and distract us from the pure science that's helped us come this far in our understanding of our origins.
"Australian geneticist Associate Professor Philip Batterham from the University of Melbourne said the research showed humanity was far more closely related that previously thought and that race was a cultural phenomenon.
Once again, political correctness corrupts science. Race is unquestionably based on genetics. Note that any time there is marriage between Negroid and Caucasoid, Mongoloid and Caucasoid, and any other combination, that the resulting offspring DO follow Mendel's laws of genetics.
That was the Toba super volcano 75,000 years ago. The human survival numbers I see are usually 2,000-5,000 worldwide.
(One of the few times I've used my list on a Blam thread.)
How's that?
Race IS a cultural phenomena. Race is all about politics. Living in the US you would notice this.
We may be related. Do you drink beer?
This certainly makes more sense of some of the DNA data that has been reported than does the wave of killers theory that had been dominant to date.
Who dat?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.