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Language Divergence and Human Genetics
Languages are related, much like genes. One of thousands of examples is the word for "from" or "of." It exists in French (de), Italian (di), Spanish (de), Portuguese (de), and Romanian (de). Consequently, these languages—now spoken primarily in southwestern Europe—are twigs on a tree branch called the Romance languages (with "Romance" referring to Rome).
This branch joins a larger branch that includes all languages derived primarily from Latin. These merge with other large branches, such as the Germanic branch that includes English, into a family called the Indo-European languages. When these and other languages are traced back in time, they appear to converge near Mount Ararat, the likely landing site of Noah’s Ark. Linguists admit they do not understand the origin of languages, only how multiple languages spread.
Mitochondrial DNA and the Concept of "Mitochondrial Eve"
Virtually all cells of every living thing (plants, animals, and humans) contain tiny strands of coded information called DNA. DNA directs the cell, dictating what to produce and when. Therefore, much of your appearance and personality is determined by the DNA you inherited from your parents.
In human cells, the nucleus contains 99.5% of our DNA, split evenly between an individual's mother and father. Because both halves are shuffled together, it is difficult to identify which parent contributed any specific, tiny segment—in other words, half of this nuclear DNA changes with each generation.
However, outside the nucleus, each cell contains thousands of little energy-producing components called mitochondria, each holding a circular strand of DNA. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) comes exclusively from the mother. Where did she get hers? From her mother, and so on. Normally, mtDNA does not change from generation to generation.
DNA is written with an alphabet of four letters: A, G, T, and C. One single copy of a person’s mtDNA is 16,559 letters long. Occasionally, a mutation alters one of the letters in the mtDNA that a mother passes on to her child. These rare and somewhat random changes allow geneticists to identify ancestral families. For example, if your grandmother experienced an early mutation in her mtDNA, her children and any daughters' children would carry that same altered mtDNA. It would differ, generally, from the mtDNA found in the rest of the world's population.
In 1987, a research team at the University of California at Berkeley published a study comparing the mtDNA of 147 people from five of the world's geographic locations. They concluded that all 147 individuals shared the same female ancestor, who is now commonly called mitochondrial Eve.
Where did mitochondrial Eve live? Initial research concluded it was likely Africa. Later, after much debate, researchers realized that Asia and Europe were also possible points of origin.
From a biblical perspective, do we know where Eve lived? Because the Flood was incredibly destructive, no one knows exactly where the Garden of Eden was located. However, Noah’s three daughters-in-law, who lived only a dozen or so generations after Eve, began raising their families near Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey—very near the common boundary of Asia, Africa, and Europe. Each of us can claim one of Noah’s daughters-in-law as an ever-so-great grandmother. Therefore, it is not surprising that Asia, Africa, and Europe are candidate homes for mitochondrial Eve.
Likewise, when the similar words, sounds, and grammar of the world's most widely spoken languages are traced back in time, they also appear to originate near Ararat. Another convergence near eastern Turkey emerges when one traces agriculture back through history.
Dating Mitochondrial Eve
When did mitochondrial Eve live? To answer this question, one must know how frequently mutations occur in mtDNA. Initial estimates were based on faulty reasoning:
The Chimp Comparison: Researchers assumed humans and chimpanzees shared a common ancestor about 5 million years ago. Because the mtDNA in humans and chimpanzees differs in 1,000 places, they calculated that one mutation occurs about every 10,000 years.
The Australian Migration: Another erroneous approach began by assuming that Australia was first populated 40,000 years ago. The average number of mitochondrial mutations among Australian Aborigines divided by 40,000 years yielded another extremely slow mutation rate for mtDNA.
These estimated rates, rooted in evolutionary assumptions, led to the mistaken belief that mitochondrial Eve lived 100,000 to 200,000 years ago. This actually surprised evolutionists, who believed our common ancestor was an apelike creature that lived 3.5 million years ago.
A much greater surprise—and even disbelief—occurred in 1997, when it was announced that mutations in mtDNA occur 20 times more rapidly than previously estimated. Mutation rates can now be determined directly by comparing the mtDNA of many mother-child pairs. Using the new, more accurate rate, mitochondrial Eve lived only about 6,000 years ago.
Tracing "Genetic Adam"
Is there a "genetic Adam"? A man carries a unique segment of DNA that lies on the Y chromosome, which designates him as male. Where did your father receive his segment? From his father. If we all descended from one man, all males should share the same Y chromosome segment—except for rare mutations.
A 1995 study of a worldwide sample of 38 men showed no changes in this segment of the Y chromosome that is always inherited from fathers. Had humans evolved and all men descended from a single male who lived 500,000 years ago, each should carry about 19 mutations. Had he lived 150,000 years ago, 5.5 mutations would be expected. Because no changes were found, our common father likely lived only thousands of years ago. While Adam was the father of all, our most recent common male ancestor was Noah.
Conclusion: A Family Bond
For completeness, we must also consider another possibility: even if we all descended from the same female, other females may have been living at the same time. Their chains of continuous female descendants may have ended, meaning their mtDNA simply died out. This happens with family names. If Mary and John XYZ have no sons, their unusual last name dies out.
Likewise, many other men may have lived at the same time as our genetic Adam (or Noah), but they might not have left continuous male descendants living today. How likely is it that other men lived a few thousand years ago but left no continuous male descendants, other women lived 6,000 years ago but left no continuous female descendants, and we end up today with a world population of 8 billion people? The probability is extremely remote!
Yes, new discoveries show that we carry the traces of Adam and Eve within our cells. Furthermore, our common parents are removed from us by only 200 to 300 generations. All humans share a common, recent bond—a true family bond. We are all cousins.
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