Two different "Adams" are being discussed here: one who started "humans"; and the MRCA Adam, who lived much later. The MRCA Adam's age can be estimated using Y-DNA (and refined as we sample the human race better.) The time of the original human on an evolutionary scale cannot be fixed in a person, or determined by Y-DNA. He existed within some wide evolutionary range. Jim - www.segmentology.org > On Oct 11, 2015, at 2:17 AM, Lee Ramsey via <genealogy-dna@rootsweb.com> wrote: > > John, > > I've always associated "Y-Adam" with the first anatomical human beings (homo > sapiens sapiens) which emerged from the archaic homo sapiens about 200,000 > years ago. I like the clarity of associating the symbolic first human > person with the first species of human beings. The name Adam does not > represent subspecies of the human race. Perhaps the term "pre-Adam" could > be used for the subspecies. > > Lee > > > The latest YFull experimental tree estimates Y-DNA Adam at around 234,900 > years ago, > > Over time there have different ways of defining "human". I don't know > myself what is the best definition. It could be development of full bipedal > walking, or tool use, or speech, or building dwellings, or when wives became > boss of the family, but perhaps some would argue that even some magpies and > chimpanzees can do all of these things. So then you have to define each > aspect, like defining a dwelling as being a minimum of 3 rooms, with > attached garage, wide screen TV, and A beer fridge. I will leave it to > others to resolve these tricky definitions. > > John. > > >

Jim Bartlett wrote on Sunday, October 11, 2015 7:47 AM Two different "Adams" are being discussed here: one who started "humans"; and the MRCA Adam, who lived much later. The MRCA Adam's age can be estimated using Y-DNA (and refined as we sample the human race better.) The time of the original human on an evolutionary scale cannot be fixed in a person, or determined by Y-DNA. He existed within some wide evolutionary range. This the pitfall when one coins a human name with a type of human species. It makes a convenient reference point and pop culture tag, but can be misleading and cannot be readily define. Lee