Random Thought

In previous articles we have discussed our connection to Neanderthals and how their public image, little by little, is improving . If you follow the news you will have heard a lot recently about a new  member of our human family. Today we are going to introduce you to that new ancestor of ours, the Denisovans. Denisova Cave, Siberia In a remote part of Siberia, the Denisova Cave, in the Altai mountains, remains of human habitation going back thousands of years was discovered. Since the initial discovery, research has continued right up to present day. The first amazing discovery that the cave yielded was the finger bone of a child, later determined to probably be female, her mtDNA was distinctly different from modern man and Neanderthal, however it also revealed that a common ancient ancestor was shared with Neanderthal. More recent finds revealed not only interbreeding between Neanderthal and Denisovans, but also included an unknown human ancestor as well. Based on finds,...

So this past week, an article appeared in The Guardian making a move away from the completely liner thinking dogma that has imprisoned paleoanthropologists and others in the human evolution field for decades. via arstechnica.com In the past, the theory, stated as fact, was that ALL modern humans evolved from one family  group with one mitochondrial Eve.  And that most of this evolution has occurred in the last 250,000 to 500,000 YAG, after millions of years basically remaining intelligent apes. The map is from an article in late 2016 that still promotes that while some of the migration details of other maps are "inaccurate" that this map is the least inaccurate one to date. Even if more than 15 years ago I would have argued that this model is wrong and lacking, without all the research, reading, and study that I have done in the ensuing years up to the present, I cannot grasp how supposedly intelligent students in the various related fields do not use their own logic...

common domain It would appear that Neanderthal's reputation is finally starting to catch up with their character. A report just published in Nature journal has done two very important things for Neanderthals. First, it shows that they were much more sophisticated than historians have depicted them and secondly, it has pushed their date of sophistication back three fold into prehistory. Until now most experts considered the oldest show of any culture and civilization by Neanderthal to be their cave art, which is only considered to go back to about 40,000 years ago. Recently there has been a lot of new discoveries or new tests on old discoveries that have given a new image to our Neanderthal cousins. We now know that Neanderthals made tools, used fire, made art, buried their dead, and perhaps even had language. “ The new findings have ushered a transformation of the Neanderthal from a knuckle-dragging savage rightfully defeated in an evolutionary contest, to a distant cousin t...

Well you have to give the ' mainstreams ' credit, they don't give up even after they lose the fight. Of course there are many examples of the defeated never admitting their defeat and I can imagine if your ego is as huge as some mainstreamers then admitting that you might have had it wrong cause you instantly went from we think or based on what we to know to THIS IS FACT! like a Ferrari going from 0 to 60, hitting that brick wall at the end might smart a little.  Crow Canyon via Ratestog.com But I don't blame the egomaniacs, no I blame the institutions! That is right, academic pursuit is controlled by the institutes of higher learning around the world and they ALL have an agenda and a position and are interested in donations (read profits), not the pursuit of knowledge. Maybe I am just the extreme optimist, but I believe that most academics, no matter what their field, chose to be academics cause they purely and sincerely wanted to pursue knowledge and truth. B...

There are many things to keep in mind when one is a student of history. The most important feature that one needs is an open mind. Unfortunately, that seems to be the least common attribute that any academic has this day and age. The prevalent misconception is that either you are open minded and thus naive, or you are skeptical and thus intelligent and knowledgeable. This is a flawed sentiment, for having an open mind allows you to, without bias, observe and analyze an idea, thought, theory solely on its merit, and you can do this logically and rationally and critically. In academic circles, where skepticism is a requirement, it is both the PC label for close minded and the scholarly equivalent of double-dog dare daring them to not only prove their idea, but to prove it beyond your own personal biases and dogmas, usually an impossible feat indeed.  Photo credit Nikola Solic Our ancestors have left us with a plethora of clues about themselves that we need only unravel. Howev...

Personally I have thought for a long time that Neanderthal has gotten the short end of the stick . And as more studies are published and more finds are made in the field, it looks like the pre-history and evolution books are going to have to be seriously rewritten.....like thrown out and start from scratch! From my point of view this is a very good thing. I have had serious issues with many of the 'facts' of the 'Out of Africa' one way point of view. Just as I have more serious issues with the "Bering Strait" migration route into North and South America. by nikola solic Starting here in North America, there are many places that show human occupation prior to the 10,000 year date, there are locations in Vero Beach, Florida that date approximately 15,000 years ago, in Clovis, New Mexico that date to approximately 13,000 years ago, and in Valsequillo, Mexico with dates that go as far back as possibly 40,000 years ago. Oops! And these are not ALL the sites ...