If you are unfamiliar with the history of humanity presented in The Urantia Book, you may want to start by reviewing Genetic Introductions, Mutations, and Evolution: a Urantia Book perspective.
The short version is that the human genetic mutation occurred 1,000,000 years ago, which is termed Andonite. The mutation did not produce sufficient intelligence for civilization to develop. Another mutation occurred 500,000 years ago near Afghanistan, giving rise to six colored races. To greater and lesser degrees, all of these races possessed sufficient intelligence for the development of civilization. Genetic develops occurred around 200,000 years ago and 37,000 years ago that do not summarize easily. But suffice it to say, these relate to the Nodites and Adamites, respectively. The mix of Nodite and Adamite is termed Andite. Nodites relates to our poorly preserved records of the Nephilim, who, during the times of Adam, had a cultural center known as the Land of Nod.
View a pdf of the UBtheNEWS.com presentation of this report in its entirety.
Adam and Eve Summary
For the most part, The Urantia Book’s story about Adam and Eve differs considerably from the one found in the Old Testament. However, both accounts have three things in common: 1) a specific couple, living a long time ago in the Mesopotamia region, had a significant impact on humanity, 2) this couple behaved in a way that caused a big problem, and 3) the behavior problem precipitated the need to leave their original location.
According to The Urantia Book, which was published in 1955, the first human beings (roughly corresponding to Homo erectus) evolved about 1,000,000 years ago. It also recounts that almost 38,000 years ago Adam and Eve introduced some genetic upgrades into our gene pool, which enhanced brain function and resistance to disease (roughly corresponding with Homo sapiens sapiens). The authors extensively recount the development of the civilization that Adam and Eve started and how their descendants migrated around the world and mixed with other races. The Urantia Book provides specific information regarding time periods, places, degree of admixture with other races, and the impact on language and other aspects of culture.
Starting in 2004 numerous reports started to be published relating to portions of the Y chromosome and the Microcephalin gene. The Microcephalin gene play a critical role in the growth of the brain. The research results closely correlate with what The Urantia Book says about the spread of the genetic and cultural contributions of Adam and Eve. The research into Microcephalin indicates that new genetic material was introduced into the Microcephalin gene about 37,000 years ago and that the rest of the Microcephalin gene was approximately 990,000 years old. None of the obvious explanations for how new material might have been introduced fit well with the results of the research. It then spread into most of the human population quite rapidly, excepting sub-Saharan Africa. Similarly, Y chromosome related studies also document how some types of mutations or other changes occurred around 40,000 years ago, originating in the Mesopotamia region, and spreading quickly into most of humanity, excepting sub-Saharan Africa.
Follow up research comparing the spread of the introduction of new addition to the Microcephalin gene with the use of nontonal languages also showed a strong positive correlation. These correlations also track well with the migrations of Adam and Eve’s descendants. Bruce Lahn, from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Chicago and the lead researcher responsible for the studies on the Microcephalin gene, is no longer working in this area, having become discouraged because the research results and their interpretation further enflamed what is already such a controversial issue. See Topical Study: Genetic Introductions, Mutations, and Evolution: a Urantia Book perspective. Support for The Urantia Book’s story about Adam and Eve is also documented in the Garden of Eden Report and the Gobekli Tepe Report.
Adam and Eve Overview
Statements in The Urantia Book supported by the research
The Urantia Book provides specific years for the dawn of humanity and for the couple that sparked the religious traditions about Adam and Eve. “From the year A.D. 1934 back to the birth of the first two human beings is just 993,419 years.”“Adam and Eve arrived on Urantia [Earth], from the year A.D. 1934, 37,848 years ago.” And it provides details regarding the location of Adam and Eve’s second residence. “The two rivers themselves were a good natural defense in those days, and a short way north of the second garden the Euphrates and Tigris came close together so that a defense wall extending fifty-six miles could be built for the protection of the territory to the south and between the rivers.”
The Urantia Book indicates that Adam and Eve had a plan for the genetic and cultural uplift of humanity and that they intended for their descendants to share this genetic upgrade throughout the world. The authors speak to the genetic and cultural impact that Adam and Eve and their descendants had on humanity. Examples of these statements include: “Adam and Eve introduced no art of civilization foreign to the progress of human society, but the Adamic blood did augment the inherent ability of the races and did accelerate the pace of economic development and industrial progression. Adam’s bestowal improved the brain power of the races, thereby greatly hastening the processes of natural evolution.” “The result of the gift of the Adamic life plasm to the mortal races is an immediate upstepping of intellectual capacity and an acceleration of spiritual progress.” “You would be far more disease resistant if your races carried more of the Adamic life.”
The migrations of Adam and Eve descendants to South America and Africa run parallel to the genetics research. “One hundred and thirty-two of . . . [Adam and Eve descendants] embarking in a fleet of small boats from Japan, eventually reached South America and by intermarriage with the natives of the Andes established the ancestry of the later rulers of the Incas.” “They [descendants of Adam and Eve] contributed considerably to the northern groups of the Saharan . . . peoples. But only a few teachers and traders ever penetrated farther south in Africa than the headwaters of the Nile.”
Additionally, there is a correlation between the migration of Adam and Eve descendants and the development of nontonal languages. Nontonal languages, like English and other European languages, do not require a word to be given a specific inflective emphasis in order to be imbued with the intended meaning.. “Many modern languages are derived from this early speech of these central Asian tribes [descendants of Adam and Eve] who conquered Europe, India, and the upper stretches of the Mesopotamian plains.”
Microcephalin haplogroup D research
The gene Microcephalin (MCPH1) regulates brain size. It has evolved under “strong positive selection” in the human evolutionary lineage. This means that, once introduced, the microcephalin gene (and changes to it like that one that occurred 37,000 years ago) spread rapidly, which generally indicates some specific survival advantage or strong preference.Research indicates that positive selection with respect to the Microcephalin gene has occurred throughout the history of evolution leading up to human beings. A new segment of genetic material, haplogroup D, was introduced to the Microcephalin gene in humans from a “single progenitor” “about 37,000” years ago. It has reached 70% of the human population but is in significantly lower percentages in sub-Saharan Africa. There is some indication that it might have originated in the general area of Mesopotamia. Both South and Central Native Americans have haplogroup D in high percentages, but the percentage is a little higher in South America.
A follow up study determined that there is a strong positive correlation between the spread of Microcephalin haplogroup D and the use of nontonal languages. Research in this area indicates that genetics do play some role in the use of nontonal languages, but researchers are reluctant, notwithstanding the geographic nature of the variations, to suggest that nontonal languages are superior.
The Stanford study
A study done at Stanford University focused on “a data set of DNA sequence variation at three Y chromosome genes . . . in a worldwide sample of human Y chromosomes. . .” “Mutation 1 defines a clade, separate from the deep African lineages. Within this clade, a younger clade, consisting of 21 lineages of which only one is African, is defined by mutation 2. . .” “The age of mutation 2, at around 40,000 years ago, represents an estimate of the time of the beginning of global expansion.” In speculating about results that were challenging to interpret, the report states, “One solution to this apparent discrepancy is the possibility that the Y chromosome is subject to fairly strong selection . . . The possible role of selection seems quite plausible . . .”
Y haplogroup F
One report on haplogroup F of the Y chromosome states,
The founder of Haplogroup F lived . . . in modern day Middle East and his descendents became the founders of Haplogroups G through to R. Descendents of Haplogroups G to R represent more than 90% of the world’s current population.
Today, the original undifferentiated ancient Haplogroup F line is localized mainly to the Middle East. Descendents of Haplogroup F are almost absent in Sub-Saharan Africa, further supporting the theory that Haplogroup F formed shortly after its ancestors migrated out of Africa.
A more recent study, published in 2008 and touting its more advanced dating techniques, puts the origination date at 48,000 (38,700–55,700).
The Controversy
Not surprisingly, research documenting the rapid spread of genetic material effecting brain growth that shows up in high percentages everywhere except sub-Saharan Africa is going to give rise to interpretations that stand a good chance of being controversial and/or subservient to the dictates of “political correctness.” In this case, a lengthy article was published in the Wall Street Journal on the subject, pointing out that “Web sites and magazines promoting white “racialism” quickly seized on Dr. Lahn’s suggestive scientific snapshot. One magazine that blames black and Hispanic people for social ills hailed his discovery as ‘the moment the antiracists and egalitarians have dreaded.’”
The article reveals that the lead geneticist involved in doing the Microcephalin research, Bruce Lahn, is no longer interested in continuing with the research. “Dr. Lahn, who left China after participating in prodemocracy protests, says intellectual “police” in the U.S. make such questions difficult to pursue.” “The university’s patent office is also having second thoughts. Its director, Alan Thomas, says his office is dropping a patent application filed last year that would cover using Dr. Lahn’s work as a DNA-based intelligence test. “We really don’t want to end up on the front page…for doing eugenics,” Mr. Thomas says.”
The authors of The Urantia Book are direct in asserting that 1) notwithstanding the preeminent importance of our spiritual equality and the moral requirements that go with this, we are physiologically and intellectually diverse in ways that are reasonably categorized as “superior” and “inferior” and 2) to a certain extent, these differences are related to an introduction by Adam and Eve of superior genetics. This aspect of The Urantia Book, however well aligned with science it may be, touches on sensitive subject matter in a manner that some people consider “politically incorrect.” Fortunately, The Urantia Book also offers new and upgraded explanations and insights to go along with this controversial (and increasingly corroborated) material.
Naturally, those of us working to develop the UBtheNEWS project anticipate that additional genetics studies will be forth coming which further verify The Urantia Book’s story about Adam and Eve. Without a comprehensive understanding of The Urantia Book’s position on eugenics and race, there is a high probability that the statements it makes will be taken out of context and misinterpreted. This, in turn, discourages appreciating the unique quality of credibility that is emerging with The Urantia Book, especially because of advances in the field of genetics. In an effort to minimize such misunderstandings, a comprehensive review ofThe Urantia Book’s statements about eugenics and race has been prepared. See: Eugenics and Race. The Garden of Eden Report and the Gobekli Tepe Report document additional support for The Urantia Book’s story about Adam and Eve.
Read the full UBtheNEWS report.