If Homosapiens survived the last mass extinction how is there almost 8 billions Humans now? Are we all related? Is every human related in some way?

Question

If Homosapiens survived the last mass extinction how is there almost 8 billions Humans now? Are we all related? Is every human related in some way?

In: 80

Answer 1

Short answer. Yes.

Anthropological studies show that even a small chimp group of 50-60 in African Savannah has more genetic variation than all the human races put together. This clearly means we all are much newer species than other apes. Or alternatively, only a subset of our ancestors could eventually manage to pass on their DNA onwards.

But off topic now–
This may or may not be directly related to mass extinction per se, because even from there you might expect populations of strong genetic variation to evolve distinctly. The current geo-historic landscape of humans has more to do with a slow and systematic Exodus spanning thousands of centuries, and 5 of the 6 continents. But the origin of this massive river was in Central Africa, probably even from ONE tribe of Sapiens. That was the period when we co-existed with other “humans” of other species.

It always boggles my mind, what if we had those humans around us right now. How would the world look? Even the sapiens cannot seem to settle their own squabbles among themselves. Imagine if we had other equally or even more sentient animals around.

Now more mindfuck thing, probably edging onto science fiction — what if, there ARE indeed babies born, who are ‘technically’ speciated? Meaning that by all current definition they don’t fall under “Homo sapiens”?! We wouldn’t even know it, and we’d still be.genetically drifting to become a new human, the so called “Homo deux”