Posted on 02/03/2003 1:02:30 PM PST by vannrox
That's got to be a typo. +/-2.2 would be much more in-family with the other lineages. Unless African DNA is inherently more diverse than non-African, which I have to doubt.
She's a drag!
Actually, it is; I believe there's more genetic diversity in Africa than the whole rest of the world combined. You've got a lot of odd groups there; what's left of the San Bushmen, the Pygmies, etc.
More variation between a South African and a Nigerian than between a Norwegian and a Greek....
Not true. My ex wife's family is still alive.
I believe you're right. Here's some data from another study:
"We observed this in our analysis—the average pairwise differences between the Neanderthals and 300 randomly selected Africans, Mongoloids and Caucasoids were calculated to be 23.09 +/- 2.86, 23.27 +/- 4.06 and 25.45 +/- 3.27, respectively."
Molecular analysis of Neanderthal DNA from the northern Caucasus
04/22/2001
Sunday Times - London
News International
1GW
12
(Copyright Times Newspapers Ltd, 2001)
ONLY a week after Anne Robinson was let off for pouring scorn on the Welsh, another group of oppressed Celts have come in for a pasting. Scientists at Oxford University have let rip at Scotland's most oppressed minority - the ginger. Experts at the Institute of Molecular Medicine have confirmed the views of playground bullies and declared that carrot-tops are genetic throwbacks, descended from Neanderthal man. The Neanderthals were aggressive thugs who hung about Europe 50,000 years ago. It had been assumed their genes had all died out as clever homo sapiens took over their turf. But now scientists believe that Neanderthal genes live on in those who have red hair.
About 40% of Scots have ginger genes and 10% have red hair. But though Scotland's redheads haven't necessarily inherited the sloping brows and dragging knuckles of their great great great-grandpas, the Oxford scientists maintain that the flame-haired have inherited a fiery temper and tendency to be unruly. But only a few months ago another set of scientists were explaining that ferrous follicles were a genetic gift, ensuring redheads were prized above all others. At the time a scientist declared "red hair has been a sign of beauty for generations". This must come as a consolation to redheads who have hidden their shining glory under such euphemisms as "russet", "auburn" and "flame". And what of Archie MacPherson, Jackie Bird, and Charles Kennedy, apparently peace-loving, but bedecked with Irn-Bru colouring? How will their public profile be affected by news that the heart of savage man beats within them?
Exactly where do you think they were on the chart?
Serious query. Do you think it might once again be re written in the next 30 years? What are the possibilities for new discoveries?
My own thoughts are that we have only scraps of possible evidence...who knows what new technologies might reveal.
I can't vouch for the exact number, but African DNA IS much more diverse than that of the rest of the world. Time and additional research may alter the picture, but the current thinking is that all Europe, Asia, Australia, and the New World are descended from one small group of Africans that crossed over into the Middle East and expanded explosively into the vast empty Eurasian habitat.
Another potential explanation for the diversity of African DNA is that, for much of human history, Africa simply had a much larger population and therefore more opportunity to accumulate mutations. This would suggest a center of origin at East Africa or the Middle East, where the lineages link to the rest of the planet.
Whatever the explanation, African DNA is much more diverse than the rest of the world.
The Bible gives a brief glimpse into the past where man existed before Adam. This tends to validate it.
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