Re: Evolution debate
Greg Billock (billgr@cco.caltech.edu)
Mon, 9 Mar 1998 17:28:44 -0800 (PST)Karen,
> <billgr@cco.caltech.edu> writes:
> in what sense does the 'Eve Hypothesis' deny that species arise from
> populations?
>
> The Eve Hypothesis states that modern Homo Sapiens can be traced back to
> one female in Africa.
>
> Essentially, its fallacy arises from the misunderstanding that a species
> can arise from mutation in a single individual. Population genetics
> demonstrates that single mutations do not effect populations. A mutation
> must occur in a significant number of the effective reproductive
> population to become significant.
>
> This does not disregard Founder Effect potentials. however, Homo was too
> dispersed -- and the transition too gradual -- to have arisen from a
> single point source.
Perhaps we're understanding different things by the 'Eve Hypothesis.' It
is a foregone conclusion that everybody alive now descended from a
'point source.' This point source is exactly the female creature who
gave birth to ancestors of everyone in our species. Population genetics
and founder effects have nothing to do with this fact. The 'Eve Hypothesis'
is, in my understanding, the claim that this individual lived fairly
recently in Africa. There are arguments pro and con this claim, but it
looks fairly solid according to mitochondrial DNA studies, X-chromosome
studies, etc.
-Greg