Human Origins

by cofty 56 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • fulltimestudent
    fulltimestudent

    Not sure of the date that the illustration was created, but it misses another important group that seem likely to be important. That group is the Denisovans, identified through their DNA in a cave in Eastern Siberia in 2008. Their identifiable DNA has been found in Asian groups down to the Melanesians in Papua-New Guinea, and recently by scientists at the University of Wollongong, in Australian Native peoples.

    Here's a comment from a National Geographic web-site:

    Quote: "According to one theory, Neanderthals, Denisovans, and modern humans are all descended from the ancient human Homo heidelbergensis. Between 300,000 to 400,000 years ago, an ancestral group of H. heidelbergensis left Africa and then split shortly after. One branch ventured northwestward into West Asia and Europe and became the Neanderthals. The other branch moved east, becoming Denisovans. By 130,000 years ago, H. heidelbergensis in Africa had become Homo sapiens—our ancestors—who did not begin their own exodus from Africa until about 60,000 years ago.
    By comparing the genomes of apes, Denisovans, Neanderthals, and modern humans, scientists hope to identify DNA segments unique to the different groups. Early results already suggest modern humans underwent genetic changes involved with brain function and nervous system development, including ones involved in language development, after splitting from Neanderthals and Denisovans. Identifying and understanding these genetic tweaks could help explain why our species survived and thrived while our close relatives died out."

    Link: https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/denisovan/

    Personally, I would not regard any explanatory information as the last word on the evolution of humans. What we know is based (usually) on quite fragmentary evidence, and only since genetic sequencing became possible have we been able to identify any discovered remains.

    Bit what we know, is sufficient to blow the biblical story out of the picture and reveal the Genesis myths for what they are - one small group of modern humans attempting to explain how they came to be - in other words it a 'foundation myth.'

    Also see: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/11/151116-denisovan-human-anthropology-ancient-dna/

  • fulltimestudent
    fulltimestudent

    ... And then there are inconsistencies that raise all sorts of questions that may challenge current theories,

    For example, this report (reported on the Phys.Org web-site).

    The image shows human like footprints, thoughts to have been made some 5 to 7 million years ago, a time when our pre-human ancestors are theorised as still being in Africa, with apelike feet.

    Read more at:

    https://phys.org/news/2017-08-fossil-footprints-theories-human-evolution.html

    and

    https://phys.org/news/2017-09-controversial-footprint-discovery-human-like-creatures.html

  • cofty
    cofty

    FTS - The Denisovans are usually grouped as a sub-group of Homo sapiens.

    The diagram is absolutely not the last word on the taxonomy of our ancestors. So much is still to be worked out and new discoveries will change things in the future. One problem is that the popular press publish modest contributions to the science as if they were earth-shattering revelations that have changed everything. Progress is almost always slow and steady and open to constant revision.

  • cofty
    cofty

    LV101 - Here is that article on the possibility that human origins may be European although the evidence is still a bit tentative...

  • LV101
    LV101

    cofty - thanks. I remembered after posting seeing something about it in our local newspaper not on this site.

    Appreciate!

  • hothabanero
    hothabanero

    I read a scientific theory that Humanity originated as a kind of aquatic monkey. It made good sense to me at the time bc humans are so good at swimming and we do not have hair. Food for thought.

  • Fisherman
    Fisherman

    "aquatic monkey"

    Sea Monkeys They were around back in the 1960's. You could buy buy them mail order from the back of comic books.


  • Fisherman
    Fisherman
    thoughts to have been made some 5 to 7 million years ago.

    The substrate can be tested but how can one know when the footprints were actually made.

  • Xanthippe
    Xanthippe

    Fascinating thanks for the link.

    FTS thanks for your links too, great thread.

  • konceptual99
    konceptual99

    Thanks Cofty. I think I may use this the next time I have a conversation with someone on the carts.

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