[Squawk 8888]

Not necessarily. The first known civilization started in Mesopotamia, and I think it's no coincidence that the Garden of Eden was in that region. I see Genesis as an explanation for our origins that was written for the audience of the time, who did not yet possess the tools to understand a more detailed explanation. In that context I would surmise that Adam and Eve were the founders of that civilization, IOW their predecessors were not quite fully human.

[conservativebabe]

Hmm. Not unreasonable.

[jcb8199]

I agree. That is completely compatible with faith. Judaism is an ancienct religion, to be sure, but they had to spread their message just the same as anyone. The best way to explain their worldview was through stories (literacy is hardly something ancient peoples are known for). The gist of the story is that GOD did it.

[firebrand]

I think you are on to something here. And something else has recently occurred to me: Maybe the first people with our DNA who realized that there was a God were Adam and Eve, and no one can really be considered human who does not have the ability to understand that.

And perhaps at that point the species were immutable. The Fall of Man, with our subsequent domination of the planet, possibly assured that the age of major evolutionary changes was over. After all, Adam did name the animals. I don't believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible, but everything in there is meant to tell us something, usually something impossible for people to comprehend at that time. Adam's naming of the animals is possibly meant to tell us that evolution--in terms of species' changing--was over at that point.