Support for Out of Africa model mtDNA analysis from 53 humans of

varied ethnic backgrounds Data suggest all had a common

ancestor about 170,000 years ago Distinct branch on the tree about 52,000

years ago, separating Africans from non-Africans

Homo neanderthalensis Appeared in northern Europe about

230,000 years ago Cold-adapted Taxonomic affinities poorly understood

Europe About 34,000 years ago, Homo

neanderthalensis abruptly disappeared Tool makers Lived in huts or caves Dead buried with flowers, food and weapons

Replaced by H. sapiens (Cro-Magnon man) Cro-Magnon man had a lighter body Cave art Probably had full language capabilities

Homo neanderthalensis

North America H. sapiens reached North American

about 13,000 years ago

Brian Sykes

Chardonnay grapes

France

Australia

South Africa

Chile

California

South African fynbos

South African fynbos

South African fynbos

Mediterranean garrigue

Mediterranean garrigue

California chaparral

California chaparral

Australian kwongan

Australian kwongan

Chilean mattoral

Common features of these habitats Hot, dry summers and wet, mild winters All about the same latitude Fire-resistant shrubs with hard leaves Shrubs often with spines

Mediterranean communities The five communities contain more

plant species than tropical Africa and Asia combined

The south European-north African Mediterranean community alone has 20,000 species of angiosperms (out of a total of 250,000 world-wide)

Mediterranean communities

Despite the similarity of the flora, there is little taxonomic affinity among the communities

Rather, each community has species derived from endemic ancestors In southern Europe, oaks dominate In South Africa, heathers dominate In Australia, wattles dominate

Mediterranean communities Wine tastes the same because it is the same Native plants look the same but are distinct The likeness of fynbos, kwongan, mattoral,

chaparral and garrigue reflects five independent responses to the force of natural selection

The native flora, not wine grapes, make the case for evolution

Cape May Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

American Redstart

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Willow Warbler

Wood Warbler

Greenish Warbler

Chiff-chaff

Red Kangaroo

Wombat

Thylacine

Tasmanian Devil

Quoll

Sugar glider

Cuscus

Australian mole

Australian mouse

Wallace’s Line

Oregon salamander

Sierra Nevada salamander

Yellow-eyed salamander

Yellow-blotched salamander

Large-blotched salamander

Monterey salamander

Painted salamander

Herring Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull