The following website has a fairly detailed rendering of how humankind actually went about colonizing the earth. I watched the three minute video that tracks the migration of human beings from the 'cradle of civilization' - sub Saharan Eastern Africa from about 165,000 years ago. 
I remember thinking that a lot of this has been pieced together based on fossil evidence whose bedrock relies on the fact that there is no older fossil of a human being on the earth other than the one found in sub-Saharan Africa.
What if in the future someone discovers an even older fossil of a human at some other location - we would then have to reconsider and revamp the entire migration theory that humans emerged from Africa. The evidence that this whole thing rests on is pretty flimsy but nonetheless it is definitely a valid theory with fossil proof and we have to accept it for now…
I also noticed that the region where I am from (Southern India) was populated roughly 90,000 years ago. If you have the time, you should also check out the actual website of Bradshaw Foundation - they have some very commendable articles on human evolution.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
On Origins - some video
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6 comments:
Fascinating! Its amazing how much information we have uncovered about the origin of humans. What i'd like to know is what would the planet and our species be like 150K years from now....beyond imagination probably- if we still exist.
Vinod,
Yes, that would sure be interesting. Oftentimes I take a mind-trip on how our landscape would be in another 100 years and it is difficult to visualize - it is difficult to even comprehend the timescales you are talking about here...
Perfect timing, Sunil! Have you in the great Northeast heard of the "wonderful" Creation Museum that opened up near Cincinnati? Oy.
Tree,
I really have nothing against any religion, but if you ask me, the creation museum is a piece of garbage... (I would have preferred to use a stronger word, but you know) Just my humble opinion...
Tree,
You could not have talked about the museum at a better time - now it seems that one of the men picked by the Creation Museum to play Adam leads quite a different life outside the Garden of Eden - he is a porn star!!
Read more here at http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=6627249
So much for the creationists!!
Isn't that hilarious?!
And I agree with you, the museum is garbage and while it's a strong reflection of the majority of the residents' beliefs in this area, it is also an embarrassment for the minority of dissenters. :-(
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