Humans Nearly Went Extinct 70,000 Years Ago 777
Josh Fink brings us a CNN story discussing evidence found by researchers which indicates that humans came close to extinction roughly 70,000 years ago. A similar study by Stanford scientists suggests that droughts reduced the population to as few as 2,000 humans, who were scattered in small, isolated groups. Quoting:
"'This study illustrates the extraordinary power of genetics to reveal insights into some of the key events in our species' history,' said Spencer Wells, National Geographic Society explorer in residence. 'Tiny bands of early humans, forced apart by harsh environmental conditions, coming back from the brink to reunite and populate the world. Truly an epic drama, written in our DNA.'"
Timely (Score:2, Funny)
Re:The way things are going (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The way things are going (Score:4, Funny)
Damn those Cylons (Score:5, Funny)
Re:"Climate Change"... (Score:3, Funny)
What will make us nearly extinct the next time will be a lack of breeding due to an overuse of the Internet in the general population.
Re:The flood! (Score:1, Funny)
God went to a lot of effort to manufacture the false DNA trail for us to discover. He did it all merely "to test our faith".
OMG, that God fella sure worked hard! How come he has become so complacent since then. I mean, what universes, creatures, or false evidence has he made lately. It's not like God is spending all of his time raising the kid - he's dead, for Christ's sake!
Re:Are we SO sure? (Score:5, Funny)
one arkload (Score:5, Funny)
Just saying...
If by 70,000 years ago (Score:5, Funny)
Conversation with government clerk.... (Score:5, Funny)
Clerk: Full name please?
Me: Allen Dale Douglas
Clerk: Date of Birth?
Me: June 12th, 1981
Clerk: Place of birth?
Me: In a hospital.
Clerk: Which city and state, Einstein?
Me: Oh, Dallas TX, Presbyterian Hospital
Clerk: Sex?
Me: Sometimes.
Clerk: (rolls eyes ) Sex?
Me: Male.
Clerk: Race?
Me: Human.
Clerk: No, I mean what ethnicity are you?
Me: Texan.
Clerk: (rolls eyes again, tosses pencil up into the air and walks away)
Re:The way things are going (Score:5, Funny)
it all sounds like a lame plot from a porno (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The concept of races (Score:2, Funny)
Re:The concept of races (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The way things are going (Score:5, Funny)
"Darn it, that was close, I'll get them next time!"
Re:Are we SO sure? (Score:3, Funny)
Might have been just a bit of tweaking. You go for bipedalism and bigger brain with high hopes of something great emerging, and all you get is bipedal apes with big brains shrieking at each other and throwing feces. So you wipe out all but the brightest of them hoping to push the brainy thing, and lo, complex behaviours emerge shortly after, like art, and religion, and stuff, which seems like progress until you realize that now you have bipedal, big brained apes with art and religion and state level civilizations shrieking and throwing feces at one another.
I wonder what the next tweak will be.
Re:The concept of races (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The way things are going (Score:2, Funny)
Re:The way things are going (Score:3, Funny)
Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
Re:it all sounds like a lame plot from a porno (Score:5, Funny)
Re:it all sounds like a lame plot from a porno (Score:4, Funny)
(One way or another.)
Re:The way things are going (Score:5, Funny)
Hey, look everyone! We've got a postcard from IGNORANT WORLD.
Re:it all sounds like a lame plot from a porno (Score:2, Funny)
Christian porno: "Adam & Eve Sweatily Multiply and Replenish Thy Earth."
Re:it all sounds like a lame plot from a porno (Score:5, Funny)
Re:it all sounds like a lame plot from a porno (Score:2, Funny)
Re:it all sounds like a lame plot from a porno (Score:5, Funny)
General "Buck" Turgidson: Doctor, you mentioned the ratio of ten women to each man. Now, wouldn't that necessitate the abandonment of the so-called monogamous sexual relationship, I mean, as far as men were concerned?
Dr. Strangelove: Regrettably, yes. But it is, you know, a sacrifice required for the future of the human race. I hasten to add that since each man will be required to do prodigious... service along these lines, the women will have to be selected for their sexual characteristics which will have to be of a highly stimulating nature.
Ambassador de Sadesky: I must confess, you have an astonishingly good idea there, Doctor.
Whoops... that was meant for another topic (Score:2, Funny)
Re:it all sounds like a lame plot from a porno (Score:2, Funny)
Re:It bothers me (Score:3, Funny)
Re:it all sounds like a lame plot from a porno (Score:3, Funny)