If we were really all descended from Adam and Eve, wouldn't we be so inbred we'd look like these guys?

Question

http://www.neatorama.com/2007/02/28/roger-ballens-photography-of-rural-south-africa/

I love the guy on the right.

Actually, inbreeding over thousands of years might get over the short-term "hump" (so to speak) and start to improve the family once the bad rejects start dying off. That's not the point. The point is that I wanted everyone to see these dudes and that was the best question I could think of.

Answer 1

Somebody is going to pick that photo for an avatar. Can't wait!

Answer 2

The biblical story of Adam and Eve is a metaphor and shouldn't be taken literally. It tells the story of human evolution from the rapid brain size increase when proteins were added to the diet through the development of agriculture. Considering it was written over 5,000 years ago, it's impressive that they had as accurate an understanding of events as they did.

And the DNA evidence for a historical Adam and Eve, also shows that they were not the only two humans living at the time. The total world population is estimated at 4,000, at the time, roughly 150,000 years ago.

Answer 3

hmmmmm...

Well, one of the basic problems with whether you believe in a literal Eve, is the evidence through mitochondrial DNA (which is passed only by the female) is that we have one common female ancestor (whether you view this as the first female, or the one that survives is your personal philosophical/theological choice). She has been named (don't know how tongue in cheek :) "Mitochondrial Eve"

There is also evidence for a most recent common male ancestor through the Y Chromasone (again, your intepretation is a philosophical/theological issue).

The question of inbreeding, as you no doubt know very well, DNA mutates at a certian rate, and given enough generations, you will produce variability.

Most theists and Christians do not dispute natural selection's ability to produce variation within a species. This is observable and quantifiable in real time.

The contention that is disputed, is whether or not natural selection is powerful enough on its own to produce speciation, not variation...

Answer 4

No, we are not all decended from Adam/eve;
On the 6th day, God created (in the flesh) all of the races, thousands of people existed.
On the 8th day, God created Adam (thee adam) and formed Eve.
When eventually Cain was thrown out of the garden, he went to the city of Nod and took a wife; there were lots of people around.

Answer 5

It's a very good thing then that we aren't all descended from Adam and Eve.

Answer 6

Well I heard a theroy that some people bred with neanderfalls too so I don't think so.

Answer 7

I didn't believe in evolution until I looked at that!

Answer 8

Hey meatman those are my kin folk there

Answer 9

no, i dont look identical to my ancestors or grandparents.