[ClearCase_guy]

Is it reasonable to assume that in 70,000 years, a group of 2000 Africans could mutate and provide the world with White people, Asian people, blondes, red-heads, Watutsis, pygmies, and Eskimoes? Evolution can perform such wonders in such a short time-frame?

I second the earlier poster who said the size of the human population after the cataclysm was only 8 and the date of the cataclysm was not long ago at all.

[blam]

Redheads 'Are Neanderthals'

"Researchers at the John Radcliffe Institute of Molecular Medicine in Oxford say that the so-called “ginger gene” which gives people red hair, fair skin and freckles could be up to 100,000 years old."

[dsc]

Well, if a group of 2000 Africans could not "mutate and provide the world with White people, Asian people, blondes, red-heads, Watutsis, pygmies, and Eskimoes...in such a short time-frame, how did 8 do it?

[Psalm 73]

"I second the earlier poster..."

I, too, "walk by faith and not by sight", but I'm afraid you're about to get flammed unmercifully for it.
(But be of good cheer, He has overcome the world !)

[Burkeman1]

Skin color and hair texture is largely a reflectin of climate. Caucasions and Asians have lighter skin due to UV radiation and the need to absorb more of it in Northern climes while Africans have dark skin in order to deflect excess UV radiation. Estimats range- but those who specialize in this area believe it took only about 20,000 years for dark skinned Africans who migrated to Europe to become "white". That is at least what I have read.

[Aric2000]

OK, so what you are saying is that it is hard to believe that it only took 70,000 years and a population of 2000 to get the diversity of the population we now have, but it's not hard to believe that it only took 6000 years and 8 people?

Does anyone else see something wrong with that logic?

Oh, that's right, goddidit, that explains EVERYTHING.

[Tallguy]

Evolution can perform such wonders in such a short time-frame?

Some say yes. Evolutionary "bursts" can be followed by long periods when change is not noticeable. Frankly, it's all pretty tough to understand.