by SWALKER 7 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Anyone see the special on National Geographic, "The Search For Adam"? I found it interesting that he is able to trace so many people by using the Y chromosone. Here is the link:
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/channel/blog/2005/06/explorer_adam.html
Genghis Khan must have stayed very busy when he wasn't in battle, by the number of descendants he is thought to have had. Maybe the story about Solomon and his 800 wives/concubines wasn't so far fetched after all!!!
Swalker
It was a repeat. I was disturbed by its obvious lack of scientific basis and started a thread a few months ago: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/12/97012/1.ashx
I recall, about 18 or 19 years ago, a breakthrough discovery that we are all descended from one woman. This discovery was made using mitochondrial DNA, which is only passed by the female.
Then, it disappeared. I have no idea if that's because the study was later discredited as a creationist version of the "Piltdown Man" or if it was simply shoddy science. Now they have discovered "Adam." I wpould take this "doscovery" with not just a grain of salt, but with a fifty pound bag of salt.
Nate, if you would bother to READ the link...it's about the SEARCH for Adam...it DIDN'T say they found him. They are going back through family trees to trace ancestors and have found that the Y chromosone can be traced through generations. Of course, there is much more work/study/time needed in order to trace mankind's roots, wherever they lead.
Swalker
Nate,
You're referring to Mitochondrial Eve, and the show is (it sounds like) referring to Y-chromosome Adam. These names are unfortunate, because they mislead about the significance of these two individuals.
Mitochondrial Eve is simply a title for our most recent common female ancestor by matrilineal descent. She was definitely not married to Y-chromosome Adam. Also, depending on where you are in the stream of time, M.E. is a title carried by a different person. For example, when the current M.E. was alive, someone else was M.E.
A good way to understand Mitochondrial Eve is to consider the most recent common female ancestor between you and a cousin on your mother's side. If you think about the family tree, you should see that your most recent common female ancestor by matrilineal descent would be your mother's mother. Further, if you tried to find the most recent MALE ancestor by patrilineal descent, you would most definitely *not* wind up at your grandfather. It would be some other (probably unknown) man way, way back, who was no relation whatsoever to your Mitochondrial Eve. Also,
The concept that all humans alive today have a common female ancestor is an inescapable *logical* conclusion. The discovery of mitochondrial DNA, which is passed only from the mother, and which undergoes very little change from generation to generation, simply allowed us to estimate when the most recent common female ancestor of all humans alive today lived. However, it should be noted that the concept has nothing to do with the Biblical concept of Eve, and it does not imply that she was the "first" human or any such thing. The concept is not at odds in any way with evolution - in fact, it aids us substantially in quantifying branching events. It has also been used to determine the degree of relatedness between humans and Neandertals. (See my article on this topic: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/88271/1.ashx)
A similar discovery allowed us to trace patrilineal descent and thus calculate when our most recent common male ancestor lived. He lived much more recently, and, of course, had nothing to do with Mito Eve.
Here's a good link about Mito Eve:
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/mitoeve.html
Hope that helps!
SNG
>> Y-chromosome Adam. These names are unfortunate, because they mislead about the significance of these two individuals.
Ya think Satan might be using these misleading monikers to trick people into believing the Bible?
Dave
Swalker, sheesh, cut me some slack, jack. Gimme a break jake. I jump in here to do a quick lookabout or post something or reply to something, then I split.
Thank you for pointing out your point to me. The pointed point is well pointed, "he said pointedly."
"If you relax the tension between polar opposites, the result is SLACK, and thats what all of us are really searching for." -Mustafa the Amazing
Nate
"I'm just here for the halibut"
Hey Seattle Nice Guy
Thanks for the additional info. Good stuff.
Nate
"Reality! What a concept!"
