By analyzing DNA from people in all regions of the world, geneticist Spencer Wells has concluded that all humans alive today are descended from a single man who lived in Africa around 60,000 years ago.
Modern humans, he contends, didn't start their spread across the globe until after that time. Most archaeologists would say the exodus began 100,000 years agoa 40,000-year discrepancy. Wells's take on the origins of modern humans and how they came to populate the rest of the planet is bound to be controversial.
His work adds to an already crowded field of opposing hypotheses proposed by those who seek answers in "stones and bones"archaeologists and paleoanthropologistsand those who seek them in our bloodpopulation geneticists and molecular biologists.
Over the last decade, major debate on whether early humans evolved in Africa or elsewhere, when they began outward migration, where they went, and whether they interbred with or replaced archaic species has moved out of scientific journals and into the public consciousness.
In this documentary, Wells addresses these issues. In a straightforward story, he explains how he traced the exodus of modern humans from Africa by analyzing genetic changes in DNA from the y-chromosome.
"As often happens in science," he said, "technology has opened up a field to new ways of answering old questionsoften providing startling answers."
Of course, not everyone agrees with him. what do you think?
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=X02OCZS7
This one is long and megavideo is a bitch. About 1/2 way through vid stops and you have to wait about an hour to watch the rest. Or buy an account.
Alt link. (just found it)
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=The+Journey+of+Man+-+A+Genetic+Odyssey+&emb=0&aq=f#
Modern humans, he contends, didn't start their spread across the globe until after that time. Most archaeologists would say the exodus began 100,000 years agoa 40,000-year discrepancy. Wells's take on the origins of modern humans and how they came to populate the rest of the planet is bound to be controversial.
His work adds to an already crowded field of opposing hypotheses proposed by those who seek answers in "stones and bones"archaeologists and paleoanthropologistsand those who seek them in our bloodpopulation geneticists and molecular biologists.
Over the last decade, major debate on whether early humans evolved in Africa or elsewhere, when they began outward migration, where they went, and whether they interbred with or replaced archaic species has moved out of scientific journals and into the public consciousness.
In this documentary, Wells addresses these issues. In a straightforward story, he explains how he traced the exodus of modern humans from Africa by analyzing genetic changes in DNA from the y-chromosome.
"As often happens in science," he said, "technology has opened up a field to new ways of answering old questionsoften providing startling answers."
Of course, not everyone agrees with him. what do you think?
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=X02OCZS7
This one is long and megavideo is a bitch. About 1/2 way through vid stops and you have to wait about an hour to watch the rest. Or buy an account.
Alt link. (just found it)
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=The+Journey+of+Man+-+A+Genetic+Odyssey+&emb=0&aq=f#
Like a tornado blowing through a junkyard and putting together a perfect Boeing 747 from all the scraps? I actually think the odds of a man wandering around looking for his (only) girl in Africa, might be greater than the current theory of life.
