… in light of later research.
In “On Population Genetics Estimates” (Biologic Institute, August 3, 2012),Ann Gauger explains,
In his review of our book Science and Human Origins, Paul McBride wonders why I have not engaged the broader population genetics literature on human origins, but instead chose to focus on a single paper from 1995 by Francisco Ayala.
As I stated in the book, I chose that paper because in my opinion it presented the most difficult challenge to a very small bottleneck in our history as a species. If Ayala was right, and we shared thirty-two allelic lineages with chimps, then there was no way for a bottleneck as small as two individuals to have occurred. That kind of evidence, if substantiated, would have been conclusive. That’s why I found it so fascinating as I watched his analysis crumble in the light of later research.
I was very aware that others beside Ayala have investigated human origins, using other methods and data. I chose not to address those studies directly in the book because I wanted to focus on the intriguing problem of HLA-DRB1’s patchwork phylogenetic history. I did allude to them in discussing problems with retrospective analyses, however. The fact that I had not addressed those alternate estimates is one reason why I never claimed to have proved the existence of a two-person bottleneck, but rather questioned the rush to judgment against such a bottleneck on the part of others.
So now, let’s consider how much these other methods add to the discussion.
See also: Ann Gauger sets record straight on Wistar II
New York Times report on human evolution controversy vindicates book Science and Human Origins