Dr. Craig, this study we're looking at is very timely with your book on the historical

atom.

Very importantly, the findings support a speciation event that is right in line with the

model that you spell out in your book.

We'll visit that in just a moment.

This genetic study reported in the journal Science has also been written up in the New

York Times, which says, quoting,

As omnipresent as humans may be today, a team of scientists now claims that our species

came very close to never appearing at all.

Researchers in China have found evidence suggesting that 930,000 years ago, the ancestors

of modern humans suffered a massive population crash.

They point to a drastic change to the climate that occurred around that time as the cause.

Our ancestors remained at low numbers, fewer than 1,280 breeding individuals.

During a period known as a bottleneck, it lasted for over 100,000 years before the population

rebounded.

End of quote.

Let's start with the bottleneck, Bill.

What is that?

A bottleneck is a metaphor for a decline in the population as you go back in time.

Think of the shape of a bottle, which is wide in circumference around the base.

But then as you go toward the neck of the bottle, it narrows down.

What they have discovered is that around 900,000 years ago, the population of breeding human

...