Scientific Adam

Menfolk of the world unite... we are all brethren, this is not a figure of speech but truly we are all scientifically brothers, cousins and the like. When I say, "menfolk of the world", I literally mean it. Sounds strange? So did It for me too.

Spencer Wells, a genecist, is carrying out a research on finding the Scientific Adam. His research is to find how the present day man has evolved all over the world and can we trace the genetic history of every man today. I thought that the idea on the whole itself was far fetched. But then every scientist has a theory. Wells' theory is based on the fact the Y chromosome in humans' which basically distinguishes a man from the woman genetically, gets passed on from father to son, then to his son so on and so forth. So any mutation or genetic changes in the Y chromosome of the father gets carried on to the son too. Hence, the presence of the similar mutation in the son can prove that he is related to the father.

Using this theory he has examined the genes of men from all parts of the world and conclusions are startling. Apparently, there are certain genetic changes which can be found in all of the men indicating that all of the men did emerge out of a family tree whose pioneer was the "Scientific Adam". That is quite a discovery or let us say at least a claim which is startling. Wells, also claims that this person would have hailed from East Africa around 2000 generations ago, definitely not like Michelangelo's Adam :-)

Theory goes on to say that mankind had come to a virtual extinction around 40000 years ago reducing to a handful of people of which one was our "Scientific Adam". This man being a true leader and better of the lot managed to raise sons and grandsons, who then travelled all over the world and so giving rise to the billions of humans we are there today.

I have tried to find my family tree for the past few generations which in itself is not complete, imagine going back to Adam. How many generations of your ancestors can you trace?