Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

To: CE2949BB

Migrations are often caused by bad conditions. If a group of people are migrating because of famine, a disproportionate number of the women are likely to die along the way.


17 posted on 12/22/2008 5:49:23 PM PST by PapaBear3625 (We used to institutionalize the insane. Now we elect them.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: PapaBear3625

Bad conditions would imply that those left behind were even more negatively selected. In fact, the far higher genetic diversity within Africa suggests that the emigrants were the marginal non-dominants being outcompeted for resources and access to mates.

Any polygamous species always has a “halo” of beta- and gamma-males who can’t challenge the alphas who exist on the margins of the main herd’s habitat.

It stands to reason that at some point a number of these betas, with what few women they had, opted out of competition with the alphas and decided just to strike out into entirely unknown territory.


18 posted on 12/22/2008 7:38:16 PM PST by Philo-Junius (One precedent creates another. They soon accumulate and constitute law.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article


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