For me, all anachronistic suggestions are unsettling. It doesn’t help that the anti’s and ex-mo’s recent targeting of these academic postulates seems to be carrying some water for them. In my mind, the idea of anachronisms doesn’t fit with the Book of Mormon pattern which stubbornly refers to “ziff” and “cureloms”.
Even if true, the image of Amerinds or Maya or whomever using tapirs as beasts of burden, is not a pretty one. It seems the ex-mo’s and anti’s are having a field-day mocking the Book of Mormon over these anachronistic suggestions. I think, Maldrum’s “tantrum” on tapir’s resonates with many people. It’s emotionally honest, even if it’s not purely rational.
The anachronism issue may be emblematic of the reasons behind why the RLDS Church has become embarrassed of the Book of Mormon. Again, as I only recently learned, the Community of Christ is now forsaking their Mormonism and selling off some of their historical assets (printer’s manuscript).
It may be, according to God’s purposes, that hard genetic and archeological proof for the Book of Mormon will not presently be discovered or accepted because:
1. the purpose of the Book or Mormon is to teach people to rely on a synergy of scripture, evidence, reason, the Holy Ghost and a living prophet for truth and not archeologists alone.
2. the RLDS Church needs to become sufficiently embarrassed by the Book or Mormon that it sells off all its property in Nauvoo, and Kirtland.
3. God is not after “lukewarm”, “fair-weather” followers at present.
4. There exists the reality of evil, opposition, and conspiracy against truth and the things of God.
Like I said before, I have been a fan of Haplogroup X2a and the possible Algonquin connection, even before Meldrum’s presentation. For me, genetics is a powerful potential evidence. I have some background doing DNA sequencing, so this data is only slightly more “familiar” to me.
I think the mtDNA migration data creates an exciting link between Amerinds and the Middle East. Unfortunately, like horses, the dating is not working out in our favor. Now, we need an answer for the new “23,000 to 18,000 years ago” Salutrean migration theory.
Interesting that Kennewick man is X2a. The study on his carbon-14 data admits the samples were low carbon content and quality and likely subject to intrusive contamination. Exogenous limestone intrusion via ground water is a common and likely source of contamination by “old carbon”. This intrusion by “old carbon” would cause the bone samples to date older than they really are. However, I am reading that a 1 % contamination only equates to an error of 80 years regardless of sample age (Aitken).
However, in my mind, If X2a were to have come to the Americas 18,000 years ago, I don’t see how the x2a haplotype would remain as relatively localized to the Great Lakes as it is. I would expect an old haplogroup to be more homogenized. In my mind, the lack of homogenization of mtDNA haplogroups and all haplotypes in general suggests that the human species is younger than assumed and human migrations have been more recent than purported.
Genetic Adam and Eve close in time.
Mitochondrial Clock Speed (based on several assumptions and some circular reasoning):
mtDNA non-random mating simulations suggest Mitochondrial Eve lived only a few thousand years ago:
In my mind, I think it may be easier to find common ground with most other Christians (many of whom believe in a young Eden) who may already take issue with some scientific dating assumptions. If we solve the scientific dating problems related to “old carbon” and “reservoir effects” from variations in cosmic ray flux, we may already have profound archaeological and genetic proof of horses and Israelites in America during the Book of Mormon time periods.
I think Christian scientists would do better looking into how to find better evidence for a “young Eden” as opposed to a “young Earth”.
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