THE AGENDA
This is the first of a two part post that deals with a subject that just keeps on bothering me because of the sad, hidden agenda from many sources, from many countries, from many cultures and many ideologies that do not want to accept facts. Yes, facts. And facts do matter. So, for the better, here are my two cents on this subject. And don´t worry, I will give you links to research and articles and books that will tell you and explain to you - but only if you really want to hear - those facts.
I will begin with a broad exploration of historical, geographical, archaeological, and genetic perspectives to critically examine the origins and trajectory of human history on this planet.
The Story in Our Genes: Understanding Human Origins and Diversity
Have you ever wondered why scientists are so confident that humans originated in Africa? The answer lies in a fascinating principle of genetics: the highest genetic diversity of a species is typically found where that species first evolved. Think of it as leaving breadcrumbs through time – the longer a population stays in one place, the more genetic variations it accumulates.
The African Origin Story
Modern humans have called Africa home for about 300,000 years. During this time, our African ancestors accumulated countless genetic variations through natural mutations and mixing of populations. When small groups of humans ventured out of Africa around 70,000 years ago, they took only a fraction of this genetic diversity with them. Imagine just grabbing a handful of marbles from a huge jar full of them. How many marbles can you take? How much diversity is there in that comparatively small amount of marbles?
This explains why African populations today have more unique genetic variants than all other populations combined. As humans moved further from Africa, each migration carried a smaller portion of the previous group's genetic diversity, creating a pattern that scientists can trace back to Africa. Yes, breadcrumbs.
Nature's Pattern Repeats
This isn't unique to humans. Take the Amazon parrot family, for example. These colorful birds show their highest genetic diversity in the Amazon Basin, where they originated, with diversity decreasing in species that spread to Central America and the Caribbean.
Similarly, the leopard frog species complex shows its greatest genetic diversity in the southeastern United States, its point of origin, with less diversity in populations that spread northward and westward.
Modern Human Diversity
But human genetic diversity isn't just ancient history – it's still evolving today. Recent examples include:
- The ability to digest milk as adults (lactose tolerance) evolved independently in different populations
- Tibetan populations developed unique adaptations for high-altitude living in just a few thousand years
- Disease resistance continues to evolve in various populations
The Neanderthal Story: Setting the Record Straight
A critical point often misrepresented in discussions of human origins involves Neanderthals. While some researchers emphasize the presence of Neanderthal DNA in non-African populations (roughly 1-4%), this represents what could be called the "last gasp" of a species that went extinct, not evidence of any special evolutionary advantage or distinct origin for non-African populations.
The facts are clear:
- Neanderthals evolved in Europe from an earlier African ancestor
- They were highly specialized for cold environments
- When modern humans expanded out of Africa, there was some limited interbreeding
- Neanderthals ultimately went extinct as a distinct species
Some researchers have attempted to use the small percentage of Neanderthal DNA in non-African populations to challenge the Out of Africa theory or suggest some sort of special status for certain populations. This represents a misuse of scientific evidence to support pre-existing biases rather than an accurate interpretation of the data.
If Europeans had actually evolved from Neanderthals, as some try to suggest, they would have much more Neanderthal DNA – not just a tiny fraction. The small percentage we do find actually supports the Out of Africa theory, showing how our ancestors left Africa, had limited contact with Neanderthals, and continued their global expansion.
Understanding Our Shared Heritage
Understanding our African origins and subsequent global journeys helps us appreciate how human diversity developed and continues to evolve. It's a story written in our genes, telling us that despite our surface differences, we all share a deep African heritage that makes us one remarkably diverse human family. When we let the scientific evidence speak for itself, free from cultural biases and agendas, it tells a clear story of our shared African origins and the amazing journey of human migration and adaptation across the globe.
SIDE NOTE:
Here is an interesting observation. I want to draw an interesting parallel between what I see have been two major "waves" of human expansion and displacement of local populations:
The first "conquest" - Modern humans moved out of Africa around 70,000 years ago, and they gradually replaced or absorbed other human species like Neanderthals and Denisovans across Eurasia.
The second ¨conquest¨ - A much more recent colonial expansion that found the Europeans moving into the Americas, Australia, and other regions, often with devastating consequences for indigenous populations.
Please, take your time analyzing the similarities in the stories, which are interesting:
Both involved technologically or adaptively advantaged populations expanding into new territories
Both led to the displacement of existing populations
Both involved some degree of interbreeding with local populations
Both resulted in dramatic demographic changes
Both waves spread relatively quickly once they began
However, there's a deep irony here that I would like to highlight: The same European populations that engaged in colonial conquest and often promoted ideas of their own superiority actually owe their existence to an earlier African expansion. The very people who would later develop theories about European supremacy were themselves the product of successful African migrants who had replaced or absorbed other populations thousands of years earlier. How about that?
What this really shows is how human history is a continuous story of migration, adaptation, and population replacement, with Africa playing the central role in our species' story not once, but twice - first as the birthplace of our species, and then as the source of the modern human expansion that would ultimately populate the entire world.
Thanks for reading. Abrazos.
Diego Rojas
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