From Newsgroup: talk.origins

Some researchers are claiming to have identified evidence that the human population was not drastically affected by the Toba supererruption. It
seems that they adapted to the situation and did not suffer an extreme population decline.

20 years ago people were proposing that a genetic bottleneck occurred
among modern humans around 80,000 years ago. Humans were found to have
around 1/5th the standing genetic variation as most other species. The
Toba supereruption has been proposed as a possible cause of reducing
humans to such a small population (likely less than 10,000 individuals)
in order to account for the loss of standing genetic variation within
the human population. The problem is that most species did not seem to
be affected. Even chimps and gorillas, as decimated as their
populations have become, have around 3 times more standing genetic
variation as the human population.

The Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes indicate that both also suffered a genetic bottleneck. Recently the time of the bottleneck has been pushed further back into time. One study that was put out in the last year or
two claimed that the bottleneck may have occurred as long ago as 800,000
years ago, and what has happened since has just slowed any recovery.
Events such as a relatively small population migrated out of Africa
around 60,000 years ago, and what might have occurred after the Toba erruption. The Bottleneck may have occurred before Neanderthals and Denisovans migrated out of Africa, and so they share the same ancient bottleneck as we do. Neanderthals and Denisovans also share the
chromosome 2 fusion event. From the molecular data this fusion event
may have occurred around 900,000 years ago. My take is that the
Bottleneck may not have been a catastrophe, but a speciation event
involving very few individuals. Once the chromosome fusion had been
fixed in a small population, migrant hybrids would be at a reproductive disadvantage. It would not just have been aneuploidy issues, but
recombinants with unfused chromosomes would transfer functional
centromeres and cause the issue of two functional centromeres on one
fused chromosome.

Ron Okimoto

--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: talk.origins

On 5/24/2026 9:27 AM, RonO wrote:

Some researchers are claiming to have identified evidence that the human population was not drastically affected by the Toba supererruption.-a It seems that they adapted to the situation and did not suffer an extreme population decline.

20 years ago people were proposing that a genetic bottleneck occurred
among modern humans around 80,000 years ago.-a Humans were found to have around 1/5th the standing genetic variation as most other species.-a The Toba supereruption has been proposed as a possible cause of reducing
humans to such a small population (likely less than 10,000 individuals)
in order to account for the loss of standing genetic variation within
the human population.-a The problem is that most species did not seem to
be affected.-a Even chimps and gorillas, as decimated as their
populations have become, have around 3 times more standing genetic
variation as the human population.

The Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes indicate that both also suffered a genetic bottleneck.-a Recently the time of the bottleneck has been pushed further back into time.-a One study that was put out in the last year or
two claimed that the bottleneck may have occurred as long ago as 800,000 years ago, and what has happened since has just slowed any recovery.
Events such as a relatively small population migrated out of Africa
around 60,000 years ago, and what might have occurred after the Toba erruption.-a The Bottleneck may have occurred before Neanderthals and Denisovans migrated out of Africa, and so they share the same ancient bottleneck as we do.-a Neanderthals and Denisovans also share the
chromosome 2 fusion event.-a From the molecular data this fusion event
may have occurred around 900,000 years ago.-a My take is that the
Bottleneck may not have been a catastrophe, but a speciation event
involving very few individuals.-a Once the chromosome fusion had been
fixed in a small population, migrant hybrids would be at a reproductive disadvantage.-a It would not just have been aneuploidy issues, but recombinants with unfused chromosomes would transfer functional
centromeres and cause the issue of two functional centromeres on one
fused chromosome.

Ron Okimoto

Forgot the link.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260510234711.htm


--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2