† Evolution †

 

     The Bible states that Adam and Eve were the first humans. When the human Genome was first unraveled, the new technology enabled a Y-chromosome DNA excursion into the past.  Analyzing the Y-Chromosome DNA from males in all regions of the world, Geneticist Spencer Wells discovered that all humans alive today are patrilineally descended from a single man who lived in Africa roughly 60 thousand years ago (1, 2).

 

     Likewise, a Mitochondrial DNA excursion into the past by genetic researchers uncovered that all humans (every race) descended from one woman about 150 thousand years ago, (later estimates significantly reduced this time frame when scientists found the rate of Mitochondrial mutations changed much faster than was earlier reported, hence placing the Mitochondrial results closely in line with the Y-Chromosome outcome). However, this was not the case with other species, in which the Mitochondrial DNA excursion went mathematically ad infinitum, (which would seem to support the theory of evolution for other critters). This enigma compelled the Discovery Channel to create a documentary entitled: "The Real Eve: Five Billion People From One Woman" (3, 4, 5). "The discovery of the Eve gene stunned the world. It seems we could all be descended from just a few females – or even just one. In this telling anthropological video, we access the very latest DNA reconstructions, and for the first time, tell conclusively the story of where, when and how the human race came about and then populated the world."

 

     After the discovery of the "mitochondrial Eve", the geneticists in the documentary had difficulties accepting their own results. They also seemed to have issues with the name "Eve", as they deemed it unexplainable for only one woman to be living at that time. Obviously this intriguing discovery confirms what is written in Genesis of the Bible concerning Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The dilemma is that it does not permit enough of an evolutionary time-scale for humans. In the documentary, the genetic researchers attempted to float that humans must have been around for much longer period of time, but due to some catastrophe only one woman survived. They were compelled to add in scenes of people running from volcanoes, etc. in an attempt to explain how the population could have been reduced to only one female and one male. The bottom line is that the genetic research in the documentary reveals that every human in the world actually descended from one woman thousands of years ago.

     The two separate studies yield three similar results.  First, both studies conclude that our genetic heritage comes to a dead end thousands of years ago.  Second, both studies trace our ancestry back to the same location, Africa.  Third, both studies estimate approximately 2,000 generations to the dead end, the different time frame estimates may be hinged on different assumptions used in the models of population genetics (6).

     Again, the following link may be another example of Creationists attempting to wind the clock back to the 6,000 year marker: "Regardless of the cause, evolutionists are most concerned about the effect of a faster mutation rate. For example, researchers have calculated that "mitochondrial Eve" (the woman whose mtDNA was ancestral to that in all living people) lived 100,000 to 200,000 years ago in Africa. Using the new clock, she would be a mere 6000 years old" (7).

     Food for thought: Could the Bible story of Cain and Abel be a parable narrating how Homosapiens killed off the Neanderthals?  "Homo sapiens were farmers, like Cain, while Neanderthals were herdsman, like Abel" (8).