Where do 'White People' come from? MN Historians, Researchers, Anthropologists, please come in.

[CantStayAsleep]

Forgive me, this may be a simple question. It's 4am, can't sleep and a million things have already raced through my mind. I need an answer to this and Google is flooding me with tons of information/articles that aren't getting down to the bottom line. Atleast I can't find the bottom line myself. So over to you MNers. Help me when you're up and can be arsed. Thanks

If Black people = African descent (as many forms state and a lot of people have said), I take this to mean Black people have African ancestry, regardless if it's dating 1 generation or 400 generations ago. So what is white descent? Where have White people descended from?

Must be really difficult to distinguish where one species end and another begins when all you have is fossils and guess work, as species lines aren't necessarily based on physical shape. If you think a chihuahua and a great Dane are the same species, but at the same time a crocodile and an alligator (which look the same to me) are different species.

Are there more in depth criteria they can use to define a species?

Can't find one word or sentence in the OPs posts that even hints at anger. What a bizarre statement.

I wasnt talking to the OP at this point. It was between me and another poster, but its all resolved now.

@ForeverBubblegum

Must be really difficult to distinguish where one species end and another begins when all you have is fossils and guess work, as species lines aren't necessarily based on physical shape. If you think a chihuahua and a great Dane are the same species, but at the same time a crocodile and an alligator (which look the same to me) are different species.

Are there more in depth criteria they can use to define a species?

This is a really good point. Technically a species is defined when it can breed and produce healthy fertile young (a horse and a donkey can breed but the resulting mule is sterile). But it’s not clear cut, especially when we’re talking about extinct species as we can’t experiment with their breeding!

www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-25885519

White skin may have evolved very recently---less than 10,000 years ago. Until then, European hunter gatherers may have had dark skin (but blue eyes).

@ForeverBubblegum

Must be really difficult to distinguish where one species end and another begins when all you have is fossils and guess work, as species lines aren't necessarily based on physical shape. If you think a chihuahua and a great Dane are the same species, but at the same time a crocodile and an alligator (which look the same to me) are different species.

Are there more in depth criteria they can use to define a species?

Advancements in analysis of DNA have really helped this area of study. This has shown interbreeding and genetic diversity (or lack) can be seen.

Sorry typos!

All Europeans carry about 2% Neanderthal DNA

So does that indicate how much evolution happened to that ethnicity ?!

Because I’m more naanderthal than 80 percent of the population. So that’s something ! I’m quite in evolved 😜

@DeepThinkingGirl

All Europeans carry about 2% Neanderthal DNA

So does that indicate how much evolution happened to that ethnicity ?!

Because I’m more naanderthal than 80 percent of the population. So that’s something ! I’m quite in evolved 😜

No, it shows that your HS ancestors interbred with Neanderthals. Its not more or less evolved. Some parts of Neanderthal DNA may have been advantageous so more likely to be retained.

Oh no, @janlevinson, quite sure @Letsallscreamatthesistene 's comment wasn't at me

Also, since we all originated from Africa, aren't we truly all ONE (I know, mushy cringe factor, sorry!)? Why all the fighting and division when "we are really all from" the same place.
Yes but then look at religious wars and the historical discord between say Catholics and Protestants. Literally worshipping the same God.

@SleepingStandingUp

Also, since we all originated from Africa, aren't we truly all ONE (I know, mushy cringe factor, sorry!)? Why all the fighting and division when "we are really all from" the same place. Yes but then look at religious wars and the historical discord between say Catholics and Protestants. Literally worshipping the same God.

Also my sister and I disagree all the time

Anyone else glad @CantStayAsleep couldn't sleep and started this great thread? :)

Yes! One of the most interesting on MN recently!

there are also other pre or old humans like Denisovans (who unlike later European Neanderthals were apparently dark & had the adaptability for living in high mountains) the ad mixture of these varies across the world with the first people in places like New Guinea & Australia having up to 4% (The first homo sapiens people reached Australia long before homo sapiens reached Europe - probably the ice age) Look at Science Direct website it has some interesting research on this - One thing I remember reading is that some Neanderthals had reddish hair - & eye colour changed too

It’s a fascinating topic.

@SleepingStandingUp

Also, since we all originated from Africa, aren't we truly all ONE (I know, mushy cringe factor, sorry!)? Why all the fighting and division when "we are really all from" the same place. Yes but then look at religious wars and the historical discord between say Catholics and Protestants. Literally worshipping the same God.

Right?! Division won't change when even one nuclear family still fight amongst themselves, let alone the whole world. Sad though.

@mumwon

there are also other pre or old humans like Denisovans (who unlike later European Neanderthals were apparently dark & had the adaptability for living in high mountains) the ad mixture of these varies across the world with the first people in places like New Guinea & Australia having up to 4% (The first homo sapiens people reached Australia long before homo sapiens reached Europe - probably the ice age) Look at Science Direct website it has some interesting research on this - One thing I remember reading is that some Neanderthals had reddish hair - & eye colour changed too

Denisovan genes are responsible for the ability to live in high altitude of the Tibetans.

Its likely that Neanderthals had various skin and eye colours

@FudgeSundae Ha! just posted something similar before I read your post.

And thats not quite true re Homo Sapiens and Europe. Homo Sapiens were in Europe before they were in Australia (although they have been there a long time).

Really interesting thread OP.

Thank you to the poster who suggested reading Sapiens. It's now on my reading list.

@Kendodd A pp said everyday's a school day. I couldn't agree more with what I've learned here today. Why isn't this taught in school by the way or is it? Have lost touch so don't really know anymore.

Alice Roberts did a really good series on this on the TV probably about 10 years ago - it was the first time I'd watched her - she is actually an anthropologist rather than a historian and she was particularly clear on how early man managed to "escape" from sub-Saharan Africa and move to the middle east and from there to Europe and the far east. It seems that there were relatively few opportunities to do so as it required fairly rare climatic circumstances.

I am less than 2% but never quite understood why this is included to my test.

The Alice Roberts programme was called The incredible human journey, and was very interesting. I think she explained it very well.
It was on the BBC, so might still be available on i player.
I think it was repeated on BBC4 last year, so might crop up again some time.

@beelzeboob

All humans are descended from Africa Skin tone lightened according to where we migrated to to compensate for vitamin D

That's why Scandinavians have tha beautiful almost platinum blond hair and pale skin. It's to absorb as much vitamin d as possible.