Talk:Creation Science Movement

M-Eve/Y-Adam

Looking for arguments about an issue I discovered with mitochondrial-eve/y-chromosomal-adam. It could be argued that M-Eve and Y-Adam are consistent with biblical accounts. If I understand the concept correctly, Mitochondrial DNA can only be passed down from mother to child. M-Eve is, effectively, the originator of modern human mitochondrial DNA. M-Eve was believed to have lived approximately 140,000 years ago. The Y-chromosome is passed only from father to son. Y-Adam is, effectively, the originator of the modern human Y-Chromosome. Y-Adam is thought to have lived approximately 60,000 years ago.

Given the difference in their life times, M-Eve and Y-Adam could not be the biblical Adam and Eve. However, Genesis also suggests that Noah and his family were the only human survivors on the planet. Thus, all humans should be able to trace their origins to this group of people.

Noah and his sons would all share the same Y-chromosome, suggesting that Noah is Y-Adam. But, Noah's wife wouldn't necessarily be M-Eve - the common matrilineal ancestor of Noah's wife and the wives of his sons would be Y-Eve. The biblical accounts suggest that Y-Eve could be Eve.Rival 12:18, 29 November 2008 (CST)

This is a stretch, even for Biblical rationlization standards. M-Eve is just matrilineal -- there were plenty of female humans at the same time. Aside from that, the fundamental point of Adam and Eve (in Christianity, at least) is original sin. Regardless of cramming M-Eve into a Biblical explanation, it says nothing of the garden of eden, which is more important than the characters themselves. I'm also pretty sure an actual common ancestor instead of a matriliniage wouldn't be very creationist-friendly. But I don't fully understand the concept of M-Eve or Y-Adam, so I may just be very confused. --Zurahn 23:18, 28 November 2008 (CST)

I agree completely - it's a stretch, but if some are willing to consider bananas, jesus riding raptors, and that the US is a Christian Nation, it's not a stretch to see this argument coming down the pike at some point in the future. Yes, evolutionary theories would suggest that M-Eve was just one member of a community of unknown size, and the descendents of her female contemporaries must have all had all-male generations between then and now. However, while the theory allows for the possiblity of other females in M-Eve's community, it does not seem to demand these other women. The evolutionary alternative to Common Ancestor theories (like M-Eve, Y-Adam) is multiple, independent instances of identical mutations in unrelated people/animals, and, while possible, does not seem likely, even in evolutionary terms. Rival 12:18, 29 November 2008 (CST)