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Evolution of type C viral genes: evidence for an Asian origin of man

Nature volume 261, pages 101–108 (1976) Cite this article

Abstract

Old World monkeys and apes, including man, possess, as a normal component of their cellular DNA, gene sequences (virogenes) related to the RNA of a vims isolated from baboons. A comparison of the viral gene sequences and the other cellular sequences distinguishes those Old World monkeys and apes that have evolved in Africa from those that have evolved in Asia. Among the apes, only gorilla and chimpanzee seem by these criteria to be African, whereas gibbon, orang-utan and man are identified as Asian, leading us to conclude that most of man's evolution has occurred outside Africa.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Viral Leukemia and Lymphoma Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20014

    Raoul E. Benveniste & George J. Todaro

Authors
  1. Raoul E. Benveniste
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  2. George J. Todaro
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Benveniste, R., Todaro, G. Evolution of type C viral genes: evidence for an Asian origin of man. Nature 261, 101–108 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/261101a0

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Comments

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  1. marc verhaegen

    :-) Yes, most of human evolution after the Homo/Pan split happened in Asia, google
    "two incredible logical mistakes in traditional paleo-anthropology PPT".

  2. aquape

    Most likely, our late-Miocene ancestors lived in swamp forests of the (then incipient) Red Sea, google "aquarboreal", and when the Red Sea opened into the Gulf (Francesca Mansfield argues caused by the Zanclean mega-flood 5.33 Ma):
    as described in my book p.299-300 "De evolutie van de mens" Acad.Uitg. Eburon 2022 Utrecht NL),

    - Pan went right, following the E.African coastal forests, and entering S.Africa via the swamp forests of the (then incipient) southern Rift to Transvaal: detailed anatomical comparisons show that the S.African australopiths resemble Pan (chimps & bonobos) more than they resemble gorillas or humans (1994 Hum.Evol.9:121-139 "Australopithecines: Ancestors of the African Apes?" & 1996 Hum.Evol.11:35-41 "Morphological distance between australopithecine, human and ape skulls").
    - Homo went left, along the S.Asian coasts, explaining the absence of the African retrovirus in Homo, and the presence of the Javan fossils of H.erectus early-Pleistocene (Mojokerto etc.), see e.g.
    https://www.gondwanatalks.c...

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