Question:

What is your take on mitochondrial Eve?

Answer:

My take on “mitochondrial Eve,” is that there is evidence that all human
beings are related by direct descent to a single female progenitor from
about (this is not my area of expertise) 20 or 30,000 years ago. The fact
which forms the basis of this theory is that all humans have virtually
identical mitochondrial DNA. Since the rate of “evolution” of
mitochondrial DNA is fairly well know, scientists can provide a very rough
estimate for the age of this first mother of the current human race. I
believe that this could just possibly have relevance to the Genesis
creation account, but think that one should be careful to push the science
and the Genesis account too far. I believe that one can make a possible,
tentative connection between the two, but do not believe that this finding
“proves” the biblical account of creation. It is one of those hmmmm??
sorts of facts which just so happen to be in at least broad agreement with
biblical claims.

John Oakes

Comments are closed.