Genetic Adam and Eve Could Have Been Contemporaries, Scientists Say

The Christian Science Monitier ^ | 8/2/13 | Elizabeth Barber

[marshmallow]

New research published in Science shows that our most recent common female and male ancestors could have been alive at the same time.

Thousands of years ago, somewhere in Africa, lived a man who – probably – had no idea that he, among all the other men in his group, would go on to become humankind’s most recent common male ancestor. Scientists would call him “Adam.”

Now, a new paper published in the journal Science significantly narrows the time during which Adam could have lived – about 120,000 to 156,000 years ago – putting him in about the same time period as humankind’s most recent common female ancestor, often dubbed “Eve." The research revises previous findings that dated Adam within a much longer period.

And the findings also ease recent doubts that the Y chromosome can reliably trace ancient lineage, renewing confidence that tracing and dating lineage using mutations in the Y chromosome could be critical in answering some of the vexing questions about how and where the first humans originated.

“We’ve shown that we can do this kind of dating, and that the Y chromosome is a really powerful tool,” says Brenna Henn, a genetics researcher at SUNY Stony Brook. “Now that we can use the Y chromosome in this manner, we can go back and look into other big questions, like exactly where in Africa did humans originate?”

“The ultimate goal is to understand when and where there was a modern human population,” she says.

Dr. Henn and colleagues analyzed the Y chromosome from 69 men from nine globally divergent regions, including Namibia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Algeria, Pakistan, Cambodia, Siberia, and Mexico. The Y chromosome, which in human males is one chromosome of the 23 pairs that form the genome, is a useful means through which.......

[a fool in paradise]

Thousands of years ago, somewhere in Africa, lived a man who – probably – had no idea that he, among all the other men in his group, would go on to become humankind’s most recent common male ancestor. Scientists would call him “Adam.”

So multiple men evolved from apes at the same time? Which came first the chicken or the egg has finally been solved. Multiple eggs just appeared from multiple lizards and they all grew chickens what laid the same kind of eggs.

[Cowgirl of Justice]

Why do all pictures of Adam and Eve show them with bellybuttons?

[Alex Murphy]

Now, a new paper published in the journal Science significantly narrows the time during which Adam could have lived – about 120,000 to 156,000 years ago – putting him in about the same time period as humankind’s most recent common female ancestor, often dubbed “Eve." The research revises previous findings that dated Adam within a much longer period.

< Snort>

Related threads:
The Catholic Priest Praised by Einstein for Explaining the Universe
Catholicism and evolution: Are they contradictory?
Pope: Humanity isn't random product of evolution
God was behind Big Bang, universe no accident: Pope
Pope praises science, but insists God created world
The Problem of Polygenism in Accepting the Theory of Evolution [Catholic Msgr. Charles Pope]
Radio Replies Second Volume - Creation and Evolution
A meeting of religion and science: Sister Frances Zajac sees no conflict in her callings
Atheist says that Church accepts darwinism [Catholic Caucus]
Let Science Be Science and Faith Be Faith
Creationists, Intelligent Design Advocates Blast Vatican for Not Inviting Them to Evo Conference
Catholics on Evolution (Ecumenical)
Vatican evolution congress to exclude creationism, intelligent design
Catholic universities plan scientific examination of evolutionary theory
God made pre-humans into people, Vatican newspaper says [Open]
How a Catholic priest gave us the Big Bang Theory
Evangelicals should follow Catholic example on evolution
Austrian cardinal says Darwinism should be studied as science
The Sense that it is True that Six-Day Creationism is Paganism
Creationist Defends Bible-Based Science Against Vatican Astronomer's Criticism
Vatican Paper Hits 'Intelligent Design'

[publius911]

Personally, I would be much more interested and intrigued in the detailed, rational and supported persuasive thesis and argument that the original Adam and the original Eve did NOT exist at the same time and place.

I got lots of popcorn...

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

Body mods man. You know, like giant earlobes. They probably had some dude cut a hole in their belly because it was rad and because like this guy below, body mods increases your chances of being hired as a political advisor for the Democrat party.

[Da Coyote]

My gawd, man, have you no decency?

It’ll take me years to get the photo of that awful human-like thing out of my mind.

[TomGuy]

Genetic Adam and Eve Could Have Been Contemporaries

Isn't that sort of assumed, if they started the human race?

[VerySadAmerican]

“Dubbed” Adam and Eve. I didn’t know God went around “dubbing” people.

[Mrs. Don-o]

“We’ve shown that we can do this kind of dating...,” says Brenna Henn.

Yeah, amazing new discovery: successful dating -- and mating --- requires Y-Chromosome Adam and Mitochondrial Eve being in the same 10,000 year time slot.

"Pretty sure we can get together, Adam. Let me take a quick look at my calendar..."

[a fool in paradise]

Self-abuse. It’s not just for “private” anymore.

[rlmorel]

LOL...lets just hope she was ovulating at the time!

EVE: “Dang! We missed because YOU were out fishing instead of eating the apples God gave us, you worm...let’s see...next time is...”

ADAM: “Er...what was that you said about an apple?”

[Driabrin]

Our common biblical ancestor is not Adam, it’s Noah; everyone but him died in the flood. Likewise, if you accept evolutionary theory, there would have been multiple near-extinctions where the genetic tree was pruned to only a few branches. Both Noah or his evolutionary equivalent would have had other men around.

[Raycpa]

Job 38

4 Were you there when I made the world? If you know so much, tell me about it. 5 Who decided how large it would be? Who stretched the measuring line over it? Do you know all the answers?

[TomGuy]

Why do all pictures of Adam and Eve show them with bellybuttons?

Because the umbilical cords ripped off when they fell out of the pods?

[Slyfox]

Man-made dimples.

[Cowgirl of Justice]

What was going throught this guy’s head when he got himself mutilated like that??!! ‘Because I am not ugly enough...?’

[Starstruck]

Don’t want to be around that dude if he gets a cold.

[Raycpa]

Why do all pictures of Adam and Eve show them with bellybuttons?

More importantly, who took the picture?

[stremba]

Genetic Adam and Eve were the first male and female humans whose genetic lines did not die off. They were not necessarily the first humans. From a scientific point of view, there could have been populations of humans living for an indeterminate amount of time prior to the birth of the genetic Adam or the genetic Eve, and it’s not necessarily true that they mated with each other, only that the maternal line can be traced to Eve and the paternal line to Adam.

In Biblical terms, the genetic “Adam” is actually Noah as someone upthread has already pointed out. All males trace their y chromosomes back to Noah. His wife would then be the genetic Eve.