Re: Afro-Asiatic

John:

>Does this mean at long last that we are getting a bit of light at the
>end of the tunnel? Glen, this is EXACTLY what I am saying - three >out of
>Africa waves.

Yes, to an extent. Sounds okay and I can't find linguistic objections. This
means I have to accept this in lieu of an inferior hypothesis that lacks a
secure archaeological basis. Your idea is assimilated into my neural
pathways :)

John:

>During the Ice Ages population densities were highest in Africa (where
>biotic and faunal productivity was highest), less in the >temperate
>climates and lowest on steppe and tundra (where climates >were coldest and
>most marginal).

There is a great site (forget where, I should check my bookmarks) that shows
climatic changes from previous ice ages to present. It shows Anatolia as
being cold and pretty much barren during approx. 15,000 BCE if I remember,
but I couldn't get myself to accept anywhere other than the Middle East as
the origin. It seemed lopsided to consider Africa as the origin but perhaps
you're right. Sigh.

>Thus the first wave out of Africa moved East, into Sundaland (also
>tropical as the Indian Biome Realm had most similarity to the African
>one).

Interesting. What about north into Anatolia? Any movement? Just a casual
thought.

>The second wave came out of Africa, couldn't move East (as it was
>already occupied by hunter gatherers), and moved North onto the
>Eurasian Steppe (your Dene Caucasians). This group is the >Aurignacian and
>Gravetian cultures that introduced sophisticated >cultures into the area of
>Neaderthals.

The Eurasian Steppe was eventually occupied by SinoDene. The far east was
occupied by MacroAsiatic dialects, precursors to Austronesian, Tai,
Australian, Amerind, etc. What about Anatolia and Fertile Crescent?? Unless
this was the early homeland of BuruYen? What is the date of the Aurignacian
and Gravetian cultures in the steppes?

>The third wave came out of Africa with the warming of climates. They
>had cultures pre-adapted to warmer climates, and followed their
>climates northward. These were the Nostratics.

Interesting stuff. Well, they would be Nostratics minus the AfroAsiatic
languages.

>No need to be scared Glen. It makes logical sense because it is
>thoroughly confimed, not just by linguistic evidence (which you have >so
>thoroughly provided), but also by (sigh) genetic and cultural >evidence
>too. As I keep saying, languages tend to move when people >move too.

You are right in talking about "tendency" but we can't expect fine detail to
be wrought out of genetic analysis void of linguistic analysis. Can we find
a happy medium where a connection between Ainu and Japanese can be thrown
away on linguistic grounds, but the origin of Nostratic in Africa can be
supported on archaeological/genetic grounds?

- gLeN
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