Re: [asa] Francis Collins

Randy,

The 10,000 population bottleneck has been around for over a decade
based on earlier genome data. The full human genome sequence and now
other comparisons simply further substantiates this.

This topic has been discussed at length over the years on this list.
If you search on MHC (major histocompatibility complex) you can find
all the discussion. The issue has to do with the number of alleles
(different versions of a given gene) found in present day human
populations compared with identical alleles in chimp and other
primate populations. The very end of a recent David Wilcox paper in
PSCF (http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/2004/PSCF3-04Wilcox.pdf) refers to
this and gives some references.

Here are 180 posts from the old evolution list archives:

http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&cof=AWFID%
3A27d1280cc4396ca2%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.asa3.org%2Ficons%
2Fasa1logo.jpg%3BLH%3A74%3BLW%3A200%3BGL%3A1%3BBIMG%3Ahttp%3A%2F%
2Fwww.asa3.org%2Ficons%2Fasalogo2.gif%3BBGC%3Awhite%3BT%3A%23000000%
3BLC%3A%23006600%3BVLC%3A%23006600%3BALC%3A%23990000%3BGALT%3A%
23006600%3BGFNT%3A%23006600%3BGIMP%3A%23990000%3BDIV%3A%23006600%
3BLBGC%3Awhite%3BAH%3Acenter%3B&domains=www.asa3.org&q=MHC+%2Barchive%
2Fevolution&btnG=Search&sitesearch=www.asa3.org

Here are 19 posts from the asa list archives:

http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&cof=AWFID%
3A27d1280cc4396ca2%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.asa3.org%2Ficons%
2Fasa1logo.jpg%3BLH%3A74%3BLW%3A200%3BGL%3A1%3BBIMG%3Ahttp%3A%2F%
2Fwww.asa3.org%2Ficons%2Fasalogo2.gif%3BBGC%3Awhite%3BT%3A%23000000%
3BLC%3A%23006600%3BVLC%3A%23006600%3BALC%3A%23990000%3BGALT%3A%
23006600%3BGFNT%3A%23006600%3BGIMP%3A%23990000%3BDIV%3A%23006600%
3BLBGC%3Awhite%3BAH%3Acenter%3B&domains=www.asa3.org&q=MHC+%2Barchive%
2Fevolution&btnG=Search&sitesearch=www.asa3.org

A somewhat tractable old reference is Jan Klein, Naoyuki Takahata and
Francisco J. Ayala, "MHC Polymorphism and Human Origins," Scientific
American, Dec. 1993

Let me know how you come out on this. It certainly seems like the
nail in the coffin for a single biological common ancestor. It's
still compatible with the sort of view of Adam put forth by Derek
Kidner in the early 60's. Quoted on the list some time ago at http://
www.asa3.org/archive/ASA/199604/0039.html and http://www.asa3.org/
archive/ASA/199604/0040.html

TG

On Aug 8, 2006, at 7:10 PM, Randy Isaac wrote:

> In case you haven't noticed by now, Terry has made Francis Collin's
> talk at the ASA meeting available on our website www.asa3.org as
> well as the interview on Science Friday with Collins and Owen
> Gingerich.
>
> I'd be interested in hearing your opinions of his answer to one of
> the Q&A's where he says that consideration of the entire genome
> indicates a population of about 10,000 for our ancestral heritage.
> I felt his answer was incomplete (necessarily due to the setting)
> and I didn't fully understand it. Perhaps some of you have more
> insight into the work he is citing and can help explain it. He
> gave no time frame so I don't know what that means. I suppose no
> matter how far back in time we go, we never get to a population
> much smaller than that for our ancestral species?
>
> Randy
>

________________
Terry M. Gray, Ph.D.
Computer Support Scientist
Chemistry Department
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523
(o) 970-491-7003 (f) 970-491-1801

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Received on Wed Aug 9 12:07:01 2006