Journey of Man - Documentary -

I happened to catch this on PBS the other night. Has anyone else seen it or have any comments on it? It was interesting as all hell.

Program and article links at the bottom.

Here's a basic intro:

By analyzing DNA from people in all regions of the world, geneticist Spencer Wells has concluded that all humans alive today are descended from a single man who lived in Africa around 60,000 years ago.

Over the last decade, major debate on whether early humans evolved in Africa or elsewhere, when they began outward migration, where they went, and whether they interbred with or replaced archaic species has moved out of scientific journals and into the public consciousness.

Today, there is general agreement that Homo erectus, the precursor to modern humans, evolved in Africa and gradually expanded to Eurasia beginning about 1.7 million years ago.

By around 100,000 years ago, several species of hominids populated the Earth, including H. sapiens in Africa, H. erectus in Southeast Asia and China, and Neandertals in Europe.

By around 30,000 years ago, the only surviving hominid species was H. sapiens.

But when did we leave Africa and where did we go? Here's where opinions diverge widely.

Wells says his evidence based on DNA in the Y-chromosome indicates that the exodus began between 60,000 and 50,000 years ago.

In his view, the early travelers followed the southern coastline of Asia, crossed about 250 kilometers [155 miles] of sea, and colonized Australia by around 50,000 years ago. The Aborigines of Australia, Wells says, are the descendants of the first wave of migration out of Africa.

Many archaeologists disagree, saying the fossil record shows that a first wave of migration occurred around 100,000 years ago.

national geographic link

Journey of Man PBS Program link

PBS description:

Today, some six billion people are spread across the planet. But there was a time when the human species numbered only a few thousand and the world was a single continent: Africa. Then a small group left their African homeland on a journey into an unknown, hostile world. Against impossible odds, these extraordinary explorers survived and went on to conquer the earth. Their story can finally be told through the science of genetics. Dr. Spencer Wells, a 33-year-old geneticist, has been disentangling this epic story from evidence all people carry with them — in their DNA — inherited from those ancient travelers. Wells travels to every continent in search of the people whose DNA holds humanity's secret history, including Namibian Bushmen, Chukchi reindeer herders of the Russian Arctic, Native Americans and Australian aborigines.

The PBS station in my area shows that the program will be on this weekend again.

Yeah, I saw that about a month ago.. Interesting indeed, but personally it's not anything I haven't known already.. One of my friends dad is a professor on the matter..

It's interesting though, when you bring up to someone that technically there's no such thing as ''races''.. We're all the same, genetically speaking.. The most difference is 6 chromosomes between a black guy and a chinese guy.. That's NOTHING considering that there's in upwards of 50,000 chromosomes in a single person... That 6 is the most difference.. More commonly, the difference is closer to 2 chromosomes.. Then the case can be made that, being black versus white is the same fucking thing as being a redhead versus a brunette...

Seriously, drop that onto someone you know.. It's hilarious when they try to refute it..

Awesome show though, definately worth the watch..

Originally posted by SteveAustin@Nov 17 2004, 12:20 AM

all humans alive today are descended from a single man who lived in Africa around 60,000 years ago.

Quoted post

A single man?

^I guess people didnt marry back then.

:o burum chin ;)

here's a great link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/999030.stm

it explains the mitocondrial DNA theory.

Originally posted by TPSR?@Nov 16 2004, 09:37 PM

\

It's interesting though, when you bring up to someone that technically there's no such thing as ''races''.. We're all the same, genetically speaking.. The most difference is 6 chromosomes between a black guy and a chinese guy.. That's NOTHING considering that there's in upwards of 50,000 chromosomes in a single person... That 6 is the most difference.. More commonly, the difference is closer to 2 chromosomes.. Then the case can be made that, being black versus white is the same fucking thing as being a redhead versus a brunette...

Quoted post

woah there buddy, you have it almost right.

you are talking about genes, not chromosomes.

every person has two copies of 23 chromosomes, one from each parent

i was recently at the american society for human genetics meeting and i heard a talk given on some data that backs up the fact that there is NO GENETIC BASIS FOR RACE.

many times, people of different races will have more genetically in common with a person of another race thanone of their own.

while there are features and genes common to each race, this is a small portion of the variability in the human genome, and the vast majority of that variability has nothing to do with race.

^ yeah what do YOU know about genetics?

:haha:

b u m p e r s

This is supposed to be on this weekend.

I want some mofos to check that shit out.

Originally posted by <KEY3>@Nov 17 2004, 03:26 PM

^ yeah what do YOU know about genetics?

 

:haha:

Quoted post

i'll need some more bandwidth

:dunce:

My bad.. I was mostly right though, right? I think I screwed up and should've said ''in upwards of 50,000 gene's'' not chromosomes.. Right? I got kind of excited when SteveAustin posted this, I just kinda threw it all out at once...

What do you do bro? You're definately 'in the mix'.. I'm just curious, as i'm going towards that general area.. My AAS in BioTechnology is in the works right now...

She created Frankenstein, the 6 million dollar man, as well as Rocksteady, Bebob, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She is now working on an army of cloned supersoldiers created from my DNA.