Linguistic KB

[Paul Kekai Manansala]

Raoul Martens wrote:
>

> 4. As often reported in the media mitochondrial DNA indicates that the
> whole world population descends from not very distant African ancestors.
>

MtDNA and Y chromosome data both agree that modern humans descend from
populations established from about 100,000 to 150,000 years ago:

Hammer MF, Karafet T, Rasanayagam A, Wood ET, Altheide TK, Jenkins T,
Griffiths RC, Templeton AR, Zegura S "Out of Africa and back again:
nested cladistic analysis of human Y chromosome variation." _Mol Biol
Evol_ 1998 Apr;15(4):427-41

 Jorde LB, et al. " Using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers to
reconstruct human evolution." _Bioessays_. 1998 Feb;20(2):126-36.
Review.

> In view hereof and as the Cro-Magnons are commonly held to have had the
> ability of speach 40.000 BC no (re)constructed 'proto-language' apply-
> ing to 4000 BC appears to reflect the 'homeland' of any
> languagegroup.

Even Neaderthals may have had speech ability.  The developed hyoid bone
occurs very far back in human history:

 Lieberman P. "Silver-tongued Neandertals?" _Science_. 1999 Jan
8;283(5399):175.

Regards,
Paul Kekai Manansala