{"id":300036,"date":"2021-01-07T10:00:08","date_gmt":"2021-01-07T18:00:08","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2021-01-07T10:00:08","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T18:00:08","slug":"human-migration-beachcombing-from-south-africa-to-south-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/creation\/earth\/human-migration-beachcombing-from-south-africa-to-south-america","title":{"rendered":"Human Migration: Beachcombing from South Africa to South America"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Have you ever thought about your ancestors? Who they were, and where they came from? Arguably, where we come from represents one of the most important questions anyone can ask. Thanks to today\u2019s cutting-edge DNA tests, people can travel back in time to find close relatives, grandparents, and great-grandparents.<\/p>\n

The same DNA technology used to determine our ancestry can be used to address the question of humanity\u2019s origin. When and how did our first human ancestors appear? Over the past few decades, scientists have made great strides toward addressing these questions. Putting together genetic, archeological, fossil, and geological evidence, they seem to have arrived at a scientific consensus: our ancestors first appeared in Africa.<\/p>\n

The Bible says that humans were created in the Garden of Eden. Bible scholars believe the garden\u2019s location may have been in the Middle East or northeast Africa. Is the scientific consensus incompatible with the biblical account? That is, \u201cin Africa\u201d does not seem consistent with the Middle East or northeast Africa. Before answering this question, let us look at some scientific data. How did our ancestors begin in Africa and, in turn, migrate to different parts of the globe?<\/p>\n

Coastal Superhighway<\/strong><\/p>\n

Advances in genetics provide a powerful way to explore human origins and migration. Scientists have found that each person\u2019s DNA carries a historical document. By comparing the DNA sequences of human people groups around the world, they gain an understanding of humanity\u2019s origin and migration patterns, including approximate dates for these events.<\/p>\n

One such advance comprises the development of myriad genetic comparisons that produce genetic trees, such as mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosomal DNA. Mitochondrial DNA analysis traces humanity\u2019s maternal lineage that is inherited exclusively from one\u2019s mother. Y-chromosomal DNA traces the paternal lineage that is passed exclusively from father to son. These, and other genetic analyses, have led many scientists to believe that humanity originated in Africa. From an evolutionary perspective, humanity suffered a catastrophic population collapse and went through a genetic bottleneck of several thousand individuals in Africa 200,000 years ago. According to mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal DNA data, humanity migrated out of Africa around 120,000 to 80,000 years ago. They followed the coastal route as a prehistoric superhighway from South Africa across the Middle East, around Asia, to North America, and finally all the way down to the tip of South America\u2014the greatest journey ever made.1<\/sup><\/p>\n

Stable Environments & Reliable Marine Foods at Lower Sea Level <\/strong><\/p>\n

Coastal routes offered many advantages for facilitating human migrations. These advantages included:<\/p>\n