New Scientist : Many human genes evolved recently ( As recent as 15,000 years ago )

New Scientist ^ | 03/07/2006 | Melissa Lee Phillips

[blam]

Take this excellent journey developed from the DNA studies of Professor Stephen Oppenheimer. (click on the link below)

Journey Of Mankind

Also, Oppenheimer says that about 50% of Europeans can trace their lineage to one guy from the Indus Valley who made their way to Europe through the Middle East. The other (about) 50% can trace their lineage to a son of the same guy who made their way to Europe a thousand years later through Russia.

[blam]

"Yeah, for sure, it's a coincidence."

Lack of exercise. Noboby in the western world does physical labor anymore.

[djf]

Saw a show on PBS where they were doing studies of the markers on the Y chromosome and proved pretty conclusively that the origins of man were distant anscestors of African bushmen.

The mtDNA side tells us about the origins of women.

Who knows? Maybe the space aliens really did manufacture us, and modern tech can prove it!

[blam]

"Great job."

Thanks.

You know I love this stuff. If I had to do it all again, I think I would have gone into anthropology instead of chip-making. (Of course, I probably wouldn't be retired now though, lol.)

[truth_seeker]

"Interestingly, while the Scandinavians are fair complexioned, the Eskimos are dark skinned."

Study the Lapps of Scandinavia and Russia. Also called Sami. They are not asian in appearance; more like other Europeans.

[SunkenCiv]

I'll GGG this one after midnight.

[PoorMuttly]

Me wonder when Typing Dog genes developed.

I bet before the typewriter was invented. We learned our lesson by learning to talk. That didn't last long. We decided it was better just to shut up, I guess...caused too many problems. Just like the Flying Carpet. Haven't seen very many of those around lately, have you.

Well, I have, but only at night. They caused all sorts of problems many years ago, so they hunted them out of existence, they think. I...I mean, OF COURSE they did...heh...heh...I mean ...who ever heard of a flying carpet and a talking dog...heh.....

...gotta go.

[truth_seeker]

http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/EthnoAtlas/Hmar/Cult_dir/Culture.7856

[blam]

I think DNA will eventually tell us the entire story.

Presently, I worry that we don't completely understand DNA well enough to make all the declarations about human origins that some are making.

[blam]

I suspect the The Red Paint People may be Lapps. Traces of them extend all the way from New England to Norway. (some say all the way to France)

[SauronOfMordor]

It must be just a coincidence that the skyrocketing amount of cardiac problems, obesity, and diabetes came along at the same time folks were brainwashed to not eat pork bellies and chicken ova, and eat tofu and bran muffins instead.

Up until the last century, humans were much more physically-active than Americans are today. Eating well will not keep you in good shape without exercise

[CobaltBlue]

Older Dryas (very cold glacial period) was about 15K years ago, Younger Dryas about 12-13K.

End of Younger Dryas is associated with the beginning of agriculture.

People are clustered into tiny groups during maximum glaciation, all kinds of interbreeding, then they spread out.

It's called founder effect.

[CobaltBlue]

Individuals don't have to "out compete" in order to pass on genes.

If everybody else is killed by, say, a volcano, or a comet, the survivor isn't necessarily fitter, just lucky.

[CobaltBlue]

Genes don't compete, they're free riders.

Everybody is so hot on competition. You guys!

If all the tall, smart, strong guys march over a cliff, and all the weak, sniveling, spineless ones stay home, guess who reproduces?

[csivils]

I blame Bush! (And global warming).

[Pharmboy]

No retirement...you'd be in on a dig in central China looking for Homo erectus. Living in a tent, trying to get a bit of warmth from the fire, sitting around eating roasted feral pig, talking about the adventures you had that day. Hey--that sounds great.

[blam]

"No retirement...you'd be in on a dig in central China looking for Homo erectus. Living in a tent, trying to get a bit of warmth from the fire, sitting around eating roasted feral pig, talking about the adventures you had that day. Hey--that sounds great."

I immediately thought of Aurel Stein. He is the original discoverer of the Mummies Of Urumchi in the Tarim Basin back in the very early 1900's. He thought they were Silk Road travellers that had died.

[CobaltBlue]

He thought they were Silk Road travellers that had died.

They aren't?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Blam.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

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[sheik yerbouty]

They're called dinosaurs!