#490 Mark Stoneking: Evolutionary Genetics, The Mitochondrial Eve, and Out of Africa Migrations
RECORDED ON APRIL 1st 2021.
Dr. Mark Stoneking directs the Human Population History Group in the Department of Evolutionary Genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. He is also Honorary Professor of Biological Anthropology at the University of Leipzig. Dr. Stoneking’s research uses molecular genetic approaches to address questions of anthropological interest concerning the origins, migrations, structure, and relationships of human populations. He, along with his doctoral advisor Allan Wilson and a fellow researcher Rebecca L. Cann, contributed to the Out of Africa Theory in 1987 by introducing the concept of Mitochondrial Eve, a hypothetical common mother of all living humans based on mitochondrial DNA.
In this episode, we talk about evolutionary genetics. We start by talking about the discipline of evolutionary genetics, and the kinds of questions it tries to answer. We then talk about the Mitochondrial Eve, the interaction between nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, and how to study paternal lineages. We discuss human genetic diversity, and if the concept of “race” is a scientific one. We then address how genetics can help us understand cultural evolution, and talk specifically about is it is possible to study the evolution of languages through genetics. We tackle other questions about our evolution, including if it is possible to tell which hominin species we evolved from, and why we find less diversity out of Africa. We discuss a study Dr. Stoneking did on the Mlabri, and if contemporary hunter-gatherer societies are good models of ancient ones. Finally, we talk about evidence of recent genetic evolution.
Time Links:
Intro
What is evolutionary genetics?
The Mitochondrial Eve
Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA
Our African origins, and Out of Africa migrations
Is “race” a scientific concept?
Cultural evolution, and the evolution of languages
More about our evolutionary origins
Genetic diversity
The Mlabri, and contemporary hunter-gatherers
Recent genetic evolution
Follow Dr. Stoneking’s work!
Follow Dr. Stoneking’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/3cDO9Ej
ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/2NM6ntr
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology: https://bit.ly/3ugq8cj