Early Human Interactions and Migrations – Three Mysteries

Neil Bockoven, PhD

Abstract

Mystery One:  Neanderthals lived in Europe for more than 250,000 years.  When we (Homo sapiens) arrived on the scene about 45,000 years ago, they disappeared quickly – forever.  What happened? Five major factors played a role in the Neanderthal demise: 1) Homicide by modern humans, 2) Disease brought by modern humans, 3) Competition for food and resources, 4) Our larger population absorbed their smaller one, and 5) Climate change brought on by the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption.

Mystery Two:  Did we mate with Neanderthals and have viable offspring? If so, what genetics did we get from them?  Yes, but only interbreeding between modern human males and Neanderthal females seems to have produced viable offspring. From the Neanderthal genes we got enhanced viral immunity, but also predispositions for ailments such as lupus, Crohn’s disease, type 2 diabetes, actinic keratosis, and depression.

Why is an Australian aborigine more genetically similar to a Scandinavian than an African tribesman is to a member of a different African tribe?  A small subset of the African population (with their relative lack of genetic diversity) left Africa about 70,000 years ago, and they populated the rest of the world.

In addition to answering these and other intriguing questions, we’ll discuss the huge breakthroughs coming from ancient DNA analysis, and the different information we get from the three types of DNA.

Neil Thomas Bockoven

Biography

Neil Thomas Bockoven is an award-winning PhD geologist and journalist with 35 years of experience in minerals exploration. He has been featured in: Geological Society of America Bulletin, Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, Virginia Journal of Science and many other scientific publications. He has appeared multiple times on several popular radio talk shows to discuss a variety of science-based subjects and his books. Neil is a member of the Archaeological Institute of America, the Archaeological Conservancy, and is an Impact Member of the Center for Study of the First Americans. Neil worked as a geologist for Exxon/ExxonMobil in Denver, Midland, Houston, New Orleans and Albuquerque. He coordinated dozens of joint ventures with oil and gas companies, including rights to the entire King Ranch in Texas. Neil attended The College of William and Mary, where he was a member of the state champion swim team, and received a Bachelor of Arts. He went on to The University of Texas at Austin, earning a masters and doctorate. He has published articles on topics as diverse as the geology of huge volcanic calderas of the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains of Mexico to sexual dimorphism in Astarte clams. His current interests center on the interaction between Early Modern Humans and Neanderthals during the Paleolithic Age, and the amazing related discoveries being made through archaeology and genetics. In addition to Moctu and the Mammoth People, Neil also has published a related children’s book titled When We Met Neanderthals.

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