Human evolution: Neanderthal Y chromosome (Introduction)

by dhw, Sunday, September 27, 2020, 11:59 (1305 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: Hominins and homos were in small population numbers before we advanced 50,000 years ago and began to build a large population. This fits Gould's concept of small isolated populations causing rapid or large evolutionary advances.

dhw: Hence my proposal that sapiens may have branched off from the apes because local conditions may have forced particular groups to descend from the trees, whereas elsewhere the apes were able to carry on as before.

DAVID: Well, what does fit is that the early forms walked upright while still having heavy tree climbing upper body and small brains. You appeal to a natural cause while I favor God.

What do you favour? Did your God preprogramme upright walking semi-apes, or did he step in and do a dabble on the legs, leaving chests and brains alone until the next dabble? Why do you think he would preprogramme or dabble these interim changes?What purpose would they have served unless it was to meet some new requirement?

DAVID: But first all were groups of apes using trees. Do trees suddenly disappear over night? No, it was gradual, which means the ape groups could easily followed the retreat of the trees. Your natural theory, as usual, has huge holes.

You have just agreed that isolated populations cause large evolutionary advances. An isolated group of apes would be isolated for a reason. They would not “easily follow” anything that took them out of their isolation. But of course this is all speculation. Maybe tree life wasn't providing enough food for our little group of explorers. Or maybe there was too much competition. Meanwhile, I’ll be interested to hear your answers to my questions above.