Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Skulls confirm we're all out of Africa
Yahoo News ^ | 7/18/07 | Ben Hirshler

Posted on 07/18/2007 1:48:08 PM PDT by freespirited

LONDON (Reuters) - An analysis of thousands of skulls shows modern humans originated from a single point in Africa and finally lays to rest the idea of multiple origins, British scientists said on Wednesday.

Most researchers agree that mankind spread out of Africa starting about 50,000 years ago, quickly establishing Stone Age cultures throughout Europe, Asia and Australia.

But a minority have argued, using skull data, that divergent populations evolved independently in different areas.

The genetic evidence has always strongly supported the single origin theory, and now results from a study of more than 6,000 skulls held around the world in academic collections supports this case.

"We have combined our genetic data with new measurements of a large sample of skulls to show definitively that modern humans originated from a single area in Sub-Saharan Africa," said Andrea Manica of the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology.

Manica and colleagues wrote in the journal Nature that variations in skull size and shape decreased the further a skull was away from Africa, just like variations in DNA.

The decrease reflects the fact that, while the original African population was stable and varied, only a small number of people embarked on each stage of the multi-step migration out of Africa. This effectively created a series of "bottlenecks," which reduced diversity.

The highest level of variation in skull types was seen in southeastern Africa, the generally accepted cradle of mankind.

The Cambridge work also suggests in-breeding with other early humans, such as Neanderthals, either did not happen or was insignificant. That is in contrast to recent suggestions that such hybrids may have been fairly common.

"We're not saying there was never a single mating between a homo sapiens and a Neanderthal. But I can say, very confidently, that whatever the product of that mating was, it didn't breed back into the population," Manica told Reuters.

Chris Stringer, a palaeoanthropologist at the Natural History Museum in London, said the new research was important for indicating that modern human diversity was derived entirely from Africa rather than coming from inter-mixing elsewhere


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: crevo; godsgravesglyphs; humanorigins; multiregionalism; outofafrica
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-89 next last
Like I have been saying for years, we're all African-Americans. I leave to the lawyers whether this means any of us can check that box if we so choose.
1 posted on 07/18/2007 1:48:14 PM PDT by freespirited
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: freespirited

When do I get my reparation check?


2 posted on 07/18/2007 1:50:02 PM PDT by Spruce
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freespirited

And I am sick and tired of being hassled by The Man!

When do I get my reparation check?


3 posted on 07/18/2007 1:50:31 PM PDT by Spruce
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freespirited

jiffy pop, anyone?


4 posted on 07/18/2007 1:50:42 PM PDT by dmz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freespirited
Then explain this:


5 posted on 07/18/2007 1:50:57 PM PDT by LibWhacker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freespirited

Seems Africa has not moved forward in the 50,000 years. Must have been the brain drain.


6 posted on 07/18/2007 1:51:39 PM PDT by edcoil (Reality doesn't say much - doesn't need too)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freespirited
So anyone who doesn’t accept the Africa theory is an African denier? Science is so much easier now that consensus solves every problem.
7 posted on 07/18/2007 1:52:08 PM PDT by DManA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freespirited

I can look at Mapquest and tell I’m out of Africa.


8 posted on 07/18/2007 1:53:27 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freespirited

We all descended from Adam and Eve. Then later God wiped all humanity off the face of the earth with the exception of Noah and his family. After they got off the boat they went their separate ways and repopulated.

Yes we all started off in Africa then later in scattered areas. Only makes snese to me.


9 posted on 07/18/2007 1:54:17 PM PDT by g33k355 ("He that cannot reason is a fool. He that will not is a bigot. He that dare not is a slave.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LibWhacker

10 posted on 07/18/2007 1:54:58 PM PDT by PBRSTREETGANG (Apparently my former party considers me an "ugly nativist".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: freespirited

if you deny this theory, you are a racist and i will send the ACLU to sue you. incidentally, i believe the out of africa theory. and by the way, my seemingly white butt will begin using the “N” word freely since i am of african descent.


11 posted on 07/18/2007 1:55:20 PM PDT by thefactor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freespirited

I may have a little Neanderthal in me but so what? Can’t we all just get along?


12 posted on 07/18/2007 1:56:53 PM PDT by BipolarBob (Yes I backed over the vampire, but I swear I didn't see it in my rear view mirror.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PBRSTREETGANG

exactly my first thought. sad huh....


13 posted on 07/18/2007 1:56:56 PM PDT by steveo (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: freespirited
Skulls confirm we're all out of Africa
And...so?
14 posted on 07/18/2007 1:57:38 PM PDT by Clara Lou (Thompson-Hunter '08-- imwithfred.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: steveo

I’m confused, Did they find Adam and Eve’s Skulls


15 posted on 07/18/2007 1:59:06 PM PDT by NoDRodee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: DManA

So Louis Farrakhan’s theory that the white race resulted from an accident by some black scientists in an ancient African lab may be true after all ? Hehe...


16 posted on 07/18/2007 1:59:13 PM PDT by sushiman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: LibWhacker; tx_eggman

All mouth... no ears...

That’s the skull of my ex-wife!


17 posted on 07/18/2007 1:59:18 PM PDT by SpinnerWebb (Islam... if ya can't join 'em, beat 'em.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: DManA

afrocentrism is feelgood group therapy.....plus it sells...


18 posted on 07/18/2007 1:59:44 PM PDT by Vn_survivor_67-68
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: freespirited

You guys might be from Africa but I’m from North Carolina


19 posted on 07/18/2007 2:00:10 PM PDT by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clara Lou

Most women just call me an animal ..... I’m confused.


20 posted on 07/18/2007 2:02:00 PM PDT by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-89 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson