Out-of-Africa? The DNA Evidence

Because all modern humans are genetically related (as members of the same species), it follows that we descended from a common ancestor. In 1987 a group of scientists claimed to have identified this ancestor as a Homo sapiens sapiens woman living in Africa about 200,000 B.P.¹

Since then, however, other scientists have questioned this conclusion, pointing out that the research relies heavily on assumptions—which may be inaccurate—about the rate of natural mutation and the length of a generation.² Other scientists have criticized the basic methodology of the DNA studies. They note that the order in which the data were entered into the computer affected the outcome, and that although each computer run produced several possible results—almost identical in terms of probability, but very different in their implications—only one of these alternatives was reported.³