# Humans from one ancestor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 17, 2000, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706 "2000-03-17T20:16:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kyberneticist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kyberneticist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyberneticist)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/1 "2000-03-17T20:16:00Z")
While I don’t wish to downplay the amount of research David put into his answer, is it possible he completely misunderstood the question? It seems to me the questioner may have heard of “mitochondrial Eve”, and wanted more information. I’ve read recently that male dna may in fact be passed on as well, and the dating may be off as a result, but anyway, determining the time when a single one of our ancestors came to dominate the gene pool doesn’t seem like such a ridiculous idea. David, some information on “mitochondrial Eve”? Please? ---
**Author:** ![Kyberneticist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kyberneticist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyberneticist)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2000, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/2 "2000-03-17T20:19:00Z")
oooops. On re-reading the question in [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mancestor.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mancestor.html) it seems to me they were indeed asking if our ancestors came from different species. Since different species can’t interbreed by definition, this would not be possible. The question also has very racist overtones. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2000, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/3 "2000-03-18T00:23:00Z")
Of course, it’s pretty much certain that all humans are descended from one primate ancestor. Even if humans are the result of several different groups evolving into a new species (extremely unlikely, BTW), each of _those_ groups would almost certainly have, in turn, have descended from a single primate ancestor. But just how would two groups evolve to the same species separately, anyway? That would mean that they both moved far enough away from their ancestors genetically to be considered a different species, but just happened to move in exactly the same direction as the other group. Evolution doesn’t tend to work that way. A point of clarification: the Eve hypothesis does not state that every human being is solely descended from one woman. It says that everyone’s matrilineal descent can be traced back to a single woman. Our non-matrilineal descent may very well go through another woman. So despite the name, it is very different from the Adam and Eve story, which claims that all types of lineages pass through Eve. I saw a good explanation for why the whole Eve hypothesis is nearly a rational certainly (that is, even without empirical data, it is nearly certain). I can’t remember the argument exactly, but it convinced me. ---
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2000, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/4 "2000-03-19T13:35:00Z")
The answer does not mention it, but as long ago as 10 years ago there were still academics that were arguing against the out of Africa theory, arguing on a more racial, global basis. Inspite of the fact that no other critter ever evolved that way, separated towards a common goal. ---
**Author:** ![eric.christ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@eric.christ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eric.christ)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2000, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/5 "2000-03-19T16:41:00Z")
A tangential question: Isn’t the full name of our species actually “homo spaiens sapiens”? The second “sapiens” distinguishes us from “homo sapiens neanderthalensis”. Does this imply that neanderthalensis and h. sapiens sapiens could interbreed? [http://sciences.homepage.com/genus.htm](http://sciences.homepage.com/genus.htm) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2000, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/6 "2000-03-20T06:07:00Z")
From the last paragraph of the column in question: > [@](#): > > So, I’m afraid it’s just Homo sapiens from here on out. We won the race and beat our cousins into extinction, either metaphorically or literally. Although from some philosophical/metaphysical points of view, it could be argued that _h. sapiens_ **lost** lost the race. I mean what if there truly **is** an ultimate goal for existence, which coincides with the ultimate destination for all life forms (to wit: extinction)? Just a thought, and before I hit the “submit” button, I’m going to check out the responses and ascertain whether somebody else has already had it. ---
**Author:** ![michaelshopkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@michaelshopkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/michaelshopkins)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2000, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/7 "2000-03-19T19:54:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by eric.christ: > \*\*A tangential question: > > Isn’t the full name of our species actually “homo spaiens sapiens”? The second “sapiens” distinguishes us from “homo sapiens neanderthalensis”. > > Does this imply that neanderthalensis and h. sapiens sapiens could interbreed? > ["][http://sciences.homepage.com/genus.htm](http://sciences.homepage.com/genus.htm)]([http://sciences.homepage.com/genus.htm](http://sciences.homepage.com/genus.htm)[/URL) \*\* Keep in mind that conventional definition of species (the biological species concept) is not very useful for palentology. You can’t really tell if x could breed with y just by bones. Thus those studying fossils have no choice to use more of a typological definition. There is actually disagreement on whether the neandertals should be _Homo sapiens neanderthalensis_ or be recognized as a species in its own right as _Homo neanderthalensis_. This debate will probably go on for some time to come though calling the neadertals a seperate species has gain popularity in the last few years. Recently DNA from a neandertal was extracted. It was published in _Cell_ and a second segment was published in _PNAS_. Both were have a short segment of DNA from mitochondria. Both segments were outside of the variation found in the current human populations and the authors concluded that we are not descended from neandertals. The results are accepted, but the conclusion is highly disputed. Mike ---
**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2000, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/8 "2000-03-20T06:54:00Z")
Please Mike, I don’t want WWIII here, but I’ve been having a running arugment with Trouts1 (on the SDMB) about the two samples of Neanderthal mtDNA - from reading about the Paabo tests in “Cell” the tests were done “back to back” the second as a double check on the first at a different lab. What is it that makes you think the PNAS artilcle was a second segment? The titles, the numbers, the authors, methodology – I can’t see it. * * * Are you driving with your eyes open or are you using The Force? - A. Foley ---
**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/9 "2000-03-26T02:40:00Z")
Hey! Don’t lose any more sleep over my question! Thanks, Jois * * * Are you driving with your eyes open or are you using The Force? - A. Foley ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2000, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/10 "2000-04-09T15:58:00Z")
It’s stupid to think modern man would kill off Neanderthals and not bother to interbreed along the way. Consider: - It’s natural to give it a go. Sheep dogs will hump sheep. People hump dogs, sheep AND apes. - Moderns and Neanderthals are closer than cattle and buffaloes, and we all know they cross to make beefaloes - Mitochondria only count if the sample is right. What if the Neanderthals were absorbed by the Celts or Picts or Lapplanders? They’d still be around, but not in anyone’s sample unless they went to the fringe of the continent to collect. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2000, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/11 "2000-04-11T16:23:00Z")
_People hump… apes._ Is there any evidence that this statement is true? Apes are extremely strong compared to humans, and I doubt that they find us sexually attractive. ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2000, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/12 "2000-04-11T21:25:00Z")
whitetho- Didn’t mean to alarm you. I was refering to the class ('70, I think) of great apes, not anyone in particular. This includes chimps, orangutans (means forest man in Maylay), gibbon, siamang, and bonobo (perhaps our closest relative, according to articles in Scientific American). ## Also, you’ve heard the joke “Where does the 500 pound gorilla sleep? Anywhere he wants to.”? It could also apply to getting Jane away from George of the Jungle. Mushrooms always grow in damp places … and so that is why they look like bumbershoots. ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/13 "2000-04-12T00:37:00Z")
Whitetho- Also, if you doubt the whole premise, do a Yahoo or AskJeeves search on beastialy. ---
**Author:** ![lamerino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5f9b8f/32.png) [@lamerino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lamerino)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/14 "2000-04-13T06:04:00Z")
Just did, and trust me, I’m sorry. At least the people are all consenting adults. * * * ---
**Author:** ![AuMatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@AuMatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuMatar)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2000, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-from-one-ancestor/1706/15 "2000-04-15T07:42:00Z")
Ok, there may be some wierdos who have sex with apes. SO when did you see the last man/ape crossbreed baby? Never. The DNA is too different to combine, the ape cant get pregnant (nor could the human). If the neandrathals were a seperate species, we could have slept with as many as we wanted and no interbreeding would have gone on. This is even assuming that it is physically possible to penetrate an ape correctly (one of the protection methods against interbreeding of frog species in nature is that they just dont match up correctly to get in). Another possibility is that a neandsapien would be sort of like crossing a donkey and a horse- you get 1 generation, but those children are infertile. So I would rather doubt any human today has any neandrathal genes in him.