Talk:Lake Mungo remains

Propose deletion of the following section

Material not notable enough to be included.

• Result of one study
• Represented only part of the HVR1
• The sequence matched in part to Haplogroup M HVR sequence (4 nucleotides) which human mtDNA MRCA does not bear (IOW it was derived in the same direction as Haplogroup M).
• The additional mutations (11) on the sequence are similar in form see in other sequence errors from the period, and also see in sequencing of ancient DNA from Mexico (White Mountain, Mexico never published)
• Was a Haplogroup M DNA with alot of derivations or sequence errors, or an ancient DNA that was contaminated by a sequencer with Haplogroup M.
• The additional mutations were C/T rich indicating they were likely due to post mortem cytosine deamination. PB666 ^yap 07:07, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

Mitochondrial DNA study

In a study conducted by Australian National University graduate student Greg Adcock and others in 1995[1], mitochondrial DNA was collected from bone fragments from LM3's skeleton and analysed. The mtDNA was compared with samples taken from several other ancient Australian human skeletons, a Neanderthal mtDNA sequence, modern day living Australian Aborigines, and other living humans. The results showed that despite being anatomically within the range of fully-modern humans, LM3 was descended from a different direct maternal ancestor than the most recent common ancestor in the female line of all living humans, the so-called "Mitochondrial Eve". His mtDNA is not entirely extinct, however, as a segment of it is found inserted in nuclear chromosome 11 of many people today.

The study has been controversial because it is claimed to present a challenge to the "Recent Out of Africa" theory of human evolution, which holds that all humans are entirely descended from common ancestors who originated in Africa within the last 200,000 years. The study authors proposed that their results support the multiregional hypothesis, which holds that traits of modern humans evolved in several places around the world, and that gene flow created the genetic uniformity seen today, not a recent migration of a single population from Africa.

However, this is not in conflict with the Out of Africa model, as the Mitochondrial Eve mtDNA type and the LM3 mtDNA type may have both spread from Africa, with one maternal line going extinct and one surviving to today. The time of the split between Mitochondrial Eve and LM3's maternal ancestor must have been earlier than the date when the main wave of fully modern humans left Africa, about 50,000 - 60,000 years ago.

Since remains of a robust form of modern humans have been found in Ethiopia dating to about 160 ka, and similar remains have been dated at Jebel Qafzeh in Israel at about 100 ka, it is conceivable that LM3's maternal ancestor left Africa in an early wave. Indeed, Schillaci has recently found morphological similarities among the crania of early humans of the Levant and those of Australasia .

The study by Adcock has been criticized by a study conducted by Chris Stringer. Adcock claimed to have found an exceptionally large amount of ancient DNA from the Mungo remains. This finding is inconsistent with other researchers who were searching for Neanderthal DNA. The study indicates that Ancient DNA is most likely preserved in cold environments such as those found in Europe. But even in the case of Neanderthal remains, the probability of extracting DNA is still low. The study further indicates that the likelihood of any DNA being preserved over the 40,000 - 60,000 years since the Mungo burial is very low.

References

The above "critique" lack consideration about preservation of ancient DNA in MM specimen paleo-environment. Further reading (to do) - what was that environment ? However tacking unrelated specimens may have make some sense for so called "science" 76.16.183.158 (talk) 12:00, 13 September 2009 (UTC)