RE: Stephen Hawking boycotts Israeli academic conference
May 13, 2013 at 1:33 am
(This post was last modified: May 13, 2013 at 2:19 am by Anomalocaris.)
I think mouse has a legitimate point in that through much of Euroasia, genetic evidence suggests much of the "displacement" of one population by another that had been supposed in both archeology and suggested by written history in fact involved every little actual displacement of people. These was in most cases no large scale inflow of new people. Instead, only a few new people arrived, but succeeded in imposing new languages, new customs, new social structures, and new technologies onto the existing population. In time, the old population appeared to have been displaced through historical and archeological records because their languages, cultures, customs, and technologies appear to have become extinct in the area and replaced by those of a different people from a different area. But genetically most of the population remained of essentially the same lineage as the natives, the new comers adding only small contributions.
Evidence of this is found through Europe, middle east, south Asia and east Asia.
For example, the spread of indoeuropean languages from russian steppe to much of euroasia has long been supposed to been done through physical conquest by indoeuropean speaking steppe horsemen displacing native populations. Genetic evidence tells a totally different story. In many areas where indoeuropeans languages are spoken now, there is a genetic continuity with local population who had been there before indoeuropean languages are thought to have arrived. This shows while indoeuropean languages and culture spread and displaced local language and culture, the original indoeuropean speaking people did not displace local populations.
Evidence of similar displacement of culture and technology without accompanying displacement of genetic lineage is also found when agriculture first spread from the near east to Europe.
The genetic heritage of the population of British isles is now thought to descent primarily from Neolithic populations who had been there since shortly after the end of the last ice age. There were subsequent while sale culture displacement, first by the culture of the megalith, then by the celts, then the Romans, Anglo Saxons, Normans, etc. yet genetic tests suggest through all the infusion of new new cultures, technologies, and languages, the genetic make up of the British isle remain dominated by the descendants of its first post iceage neolithic hunter gathered.
However, while genetic evidence does not suggest wholesale replacement of one population by another on a large scale across large regions, say province sized, had been common through history, it does not say it had never taken place. It also does not say whole sale displacement of population by another on smaller scale, say displacement of one tribe by another, or population of one county sized refion by those of another, rather than the population of a province sized region by those of another, did not occur more frequently.
As to the Jews. Genetic evidence does show most modern men who claim jewish descent can trace their y chromosome to y chromosome lineages common in Palestine. This means on their fathers side, they can trace their origin to Palestine. So the notion of Jewish diaspora having been driven out of Palestine is supported. however, most who claim to be Jews show mitochondria DNA traceable to the area of the world where their recent ancesters spend much of their time. This means Jewish lineages, wherever they are, are heavily conditioned by intermarriage with local women. This is why Jews world over look more like non-Jews for the same area they live, then they do to Jews from other areas.
Essentially, genetic evidence tells a story of Jewish diaspora which is heavily dominated by repetition of the following scenario: Jewish men move to a new area. Jewish women stay behind. When first reaching a new location, the primarily male jewish community take local wives. once several generation passed, and Jewish community now has plenty of marriageable men and women, then the Jews resort to marriage amongst themselves, until social force compel Jewish men to go to a new area, and the cycle begins again.
Since y chromosome is passed only for father to son, the y chromosome in Jews show the ancient link with palestine because most Jewish men can trace a continuous paternal lineage of Jews all the way palatine.
But mitochondria DNA is only passed from mother to offspring, most Jews therefore can trace their mitochrondria DNA to the local brides jewish men took when they first arrived at a region, since Jewish women primarily stayed behind.
Because the paternal lineage of many Jewish communities have been insular for very long, probably since biblical times, while mitochrondria lineage of many Jewish community is thoroughly intermingled with those of the local population, Jews actually offer many opportunities of genetic studies, and these studies have produced some remarkable results concerning Jewish history.
Evidence of this is found through Europe, middle east, south Asia and east Asia.
For example, the spread of indoeuropean languages from russian steppe to much of euroasia has long been supposed to been done through physical conquest by indoeuropean speaking steppe horsemen displacing native populations. Genetic evidence tells a totally different story. In many areas where indoeuropeans languages are spoken now, there is a genetic continuity with local population who had been there before indoeuropean languages are thought to have arrived. This shows while indoeuropean languages and culture spread and displaced local language and culture, the original indoeuropean speaking people did not displace local populations.
Evidence of similar displacement of culture and technology without accompanying displacement of genetic lineage is also found when agriculture first spread from the near east to Europe.
The genetic heritage of the population of British isles is now thought to descent primarily from Neolithic populations who had been there since shortly after the end of the last ice age. There were subsequent while sale culture displacement, first by the culture of the megalith, then by the celts, then the Romans, Anglo Saxons, Normans, etc. yet genetic tests suggest through all the infusion of new new cultures, technologies, and languages, the genetic make up of the British isle remain dominated by the descendants of its first post iceage neolithic hunter gathered.
However, while genetic evidence does not suggest wholesale replacement of one population by another on a large scale across large regions, say province sized, had been common through history, it does not say it had never taken place. It also does not say whole sale displacement of population by another on smaller scale, say displacement of one tribe by another, or population of one county sized refion by those of another, rather than the population of a province sized region by those of another, did not occur more frequently.
As to the Jews. Genetic evidence does show most modern men who claim jewish descent can trace their y chromosome to y chromosome lineages common in Palestine. This means on their fathers side, they can trace their origin to Palestine. So the notion of Jewish diaspora having been driven out of Palestine is supported. however, most who claim to be Jews show mitochondria DNA traceable to the area of the world where their recent ancesters spend much of their time. This means Jewish lineages, wherever they are, are heavily conditioned by intermarriage with local women. This is why Jews world over look more like non-Jews for the same area they live, then they do to Jews from other areas.
Essentially, genetic evidence tells a story of Jewish diaspora which is heavily dominated by repetition of the following scenario: Jewish men move to a new area. Jewish women stay behind. When first reaching a new location, the primarily male jewish community take local wives. once several generation passed, and Jewish community now has plenty of marriageable men and women, then the Jews resort to marriage amongst themselves, until social force compel Jewish men to go to a new area, and the cycle begins again.
Since y chromosome is passed only for father to son, the y chromosome in Jews show the ancient link with palestine because most Jewish men can trace a continuous paternal lineage of Jews all the way palatine.
But mitochondria DNA is only passed from mother to offspring, most Jews therefore can trace their mitochrondria DNA to the local brides jewish men took when they first arrived at a region, since Jewish women primarily stayed behind.
Because the paternal lineage of many Jewish communities have been insular for very long, probably since biblical times, while mitochrondria lineage of many Jewish community is thoroughly intermingled with those of the local population, Jews actually offer many opportunities of genetic studies, and these studies have produced some remarkable results concerning Jewish history.
