2. Creation
2.8. Who are Adam and Eve?
Scientific ancestry offers intriguing insights:
All males share a common Y-chromosome lineage, pointing to a 'Y-Chromosome Adam,'' while all humans share mitochondrial DNA from a 'Mitochondrial Eve.'' However, these individuals lived tens of thousands of years apart, highlighting they are not the same as the biblical Adam and Eve.
Some populations exhibit DNA from interbreeding with Denisovans and Neanderthals, ancient humans who displayed complex cognition, including tool-making and symbolic behaviors.
The 'Big Bang of the Mind,'' marking the emergence of symbolic thought and culture, likely occurred around 50,000–70,000 years ago. This doesn't mean earlier humans lacked reasoning, but that such traits became more advanced.
A significant human population bottleneck around 60,000 years ago is evidenced by genetics, though its connection to biblical events like Noah's story is speculative.
These findings suggest several possibilities for interpreting Adam and Eve:
a. Adam and Eve might have been the first Homo sapiens, arising through separate mutations.
b. Adam may have been the first Homo sapiens, with Eve as his offspring with an earlier human species.
c. Adam and Eve could have been twins or siblings.
However, genetic evidence does not conclusively identify our first common ancestors as a single couple. It's also possible that the 'first humans' imbued with a God-given spirit came later in the evolutionary tree, leaving room for both scientific and theological exploration. There has been no evidence that our common parents were kicked out of paradise or fall into sins in the 'spectacular way', it could be as simple as not caring about something small, and there was no evidence that they could speak proper language in those days. It seems like Jesus was fulfilling a lot of Mosaic tradition and promises to convince the Jews that He was the Messiah, as the gospel of Matthew focused on, not to proof that the Torah was indeed facts in all factors.