Lecture 1

Question 1

‘Young Earth’ creationism

Answer 1

Humans, other animals and Earth directly created by God;
Biblical description is literal
Rejection of scientific dating techniques: Earth less than 10,000
years old and reshaped by global flood

Question 2

Theistic evolution/intelligent design

Answer 2

Accept that the Biblical description of Creation is allegorical
* Varies: many accept evolution from primates but with divine
intervention at some point in the past
* Theistic evolution: evolution is the means God used to create all living
things. i.e. evolution is not random but directed
* Mainly accept scientific dating techniques and scientific age of
the Earth/species

Question 3

James Ussher (1581-1656)

Answer 3

• James Ussher (1581-1656), Archbishop
  of Armagh:
• Calculations from historical events and
  Biblical genealogies suggest creation at
  “the entrance of the night preceding the
  23rd day of October… the year before
  Christ 4004”
• i.e. on 22 October 4004 BC (9am)
• ~6,000 years to fit in the whole of human
  evolution

Question 4

How well accepted is evolution?
UK Theos survey, 2009

Answer 4

• Darwinian evolution is a theory so well
  established it is beyond reasonable
  doubt- 37%
• There is little or no supporting evidence
  for Darwinian evolution- 19%
• The theory of Darwinian evolution is still
  waiting to be proved or disproved- 36%
• Humans were created by God some time
  within the last 10,000 years- 17%
• Humans evolved by a process of evolution
  which required the special intervention of God or a higher power at key stages- 11%
• Humans evolved by process of evolution which can be seen as part of God’s plan- 28%
• Humans evolved by process of evolution which removes any need for God- 37%

Question 5

Response to WWII: UNESCO*
1950 Statement on Race

Answer 5

• “Scientists have reached general agreement in recognising that mankind is one: that all men [sic] belong to the same species, Homo sapiens.”
• “For all practical social purposes ‘race’ is not so much a biological phenomenon as a social myth.”
• “According to present knowledge there is no proof that the groups of mankind [sic] differ in their innate mental characteristics, whether in respect of intelligence or temperament.”
• “The scientific material available to us at present does not justify he conclusion that inherited genetic differences are a major factor in producing the differences between the cultures and cultural achievements of different peoples or groups.”
• “biological studies lend support to the ethic of universal brotherhood [sic]”.

Question 6

The modern palaeoanthropological
consensus

Answer 6

Recent findings, especially impact of the recent ‘DNA/aDNA revolution’
* human genetic homogeneity
* palaeoanthropological consensus re human recency
* Homo sapiens is c300-200,000 years old
* (Some of) Homo sapiens left Africa sometime around
~100,000 years ago
* They spread across the world and all living human groups are descended from these
* More recent caveat: with some interbreeding!

• Have our interpretations been influenced by post-war liberal antiracism?

Is human origins research racist, or at least ‘colonial’?
* This now extends to consideration of the ethics of our methods – where we get our evidence/data from, who is ‘allowed’ to study palaeoanthropology and become a
palaeoanthropologist…