Did Early Humans Go North or South?

Science Magazine ^ | 2005-05-13 | Peter Forster and Shuichi Matsumura

[Enterprise]

"Did Early Humans Go North or South?"

Yes!

[MikefromOhio]

why do I get the feeling this could turn into a Civil War thread?

[C210N]

maybe they just stayed where they were, in those early years... its not like there were blue and red areas yet

[Cornpone]

I agree. The ones that went north went north and the ones that went south went south...now was that so complicated?:)

[Eeper]

Argh! I'm getting tired of mtDNA being misrepresented like this. The whole "mitochondrial Eve" thing is one of the biggest scientific hoaxes the public has fallen for in a long time. The people believe this scientists without question, while all the while, professionals and publications of merit (NEJoM, for example) are refuting the basis for their entire argument.

[TADSLOS]

The current demographics of Florida pretty much answers the question.

[Enterprise]

They went THAT way.

[kms61]

I think the Crevos will find it before the reenactors do.

[MikefromOhio]

LOL

[agere_contra]

The whole "mitochondrial Eve" thing is one of the biggest scientific hoaxes the public has fallen for in a long time.

What's the hoax with the mitochondrial Eve thing? Serious question

[Eeper]

What's the hoax with the mitochondrial Eve thing?

Here's the thing: the valid research was "sexed up" and presented to the public as supporting something it absolutely did not. Even the name is misleading..."Eve" has very definite connotations, yes? People were presented with the idea that this "Eve" was the common female ancestor of all humanity; there is absolutely nothing to support this. What the mtDNA evidence suggests is that she might be the oldest common female ancestor that most of humanity shares that we happen to have comprehensive genetic material from in the form of regressive generational sets. This is a far different thing; the public was led to believe that this being was our primal ancestor, when in reality, the data simply shows that her offspring were successful enough to survive (genetically) to this day. Big whoop; there are literally thousands of such beings, we simply don't have the data on them. The next problem is that, contrary to what the public is told, evidence suggests that mtDNA is not solely inherited from the mother, but that the father can contribute as well.

Bottom line, popular media paints "mtDNA Eve" as some discrete woman who gave birth to our various races, a mother-figure to all of humanity. The reality is that this being simply had some successful children who in turn gave birth to children who in turn (etc., etc.) survived to the present day. There's absolutely nothing special about that; we're all descended from various people who (obviously) were similarly successful.

[agere_contra]

Thanks for the reply Eeper, much appreciated!

[Tallguy]

Yes, but what I want to know is how did coconuts get to King Arthur's Britain?

[Pharmboy]

Pinging the usual suspects...

[Larry Lucido]

In Michigan they went north every weekend and during hunting season. When they retired, they went south.

[PatrickHenry]

Thanks for the ping, but after experience with similar threads, it seems that my list is mostly uninterested in this topic. I'm pinging a few, but not the whole list.

[VadeRetro]

Anyway, I know the answer.

Did Early Humans Go North or South?

Yes, sometimes.

[Pharmboy]

OK--good to know. Although, if your list is interested in evolution, human evolution is not on their radar?

[PatrickHenry]

Although, if your list is interested in evolution, human evolution is not on their radar?

Sure it is, but this article is more about anthropology, after modern humans have arrived.