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The Ādam Paradox Hypothesis
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Modern laboratory insights.
ARHGAP11B induces neocortical features in mouse embryos (Florio et al.,
2015). NOTCH2NL CRISPR deletions reduce human progenitor proliferation
(Fiddes et al., 2018). FOXP2 regulates large synaptic programs (Konopka et al.,
2009). SRGAP2C delays spine maturation (Charrier et al., 2012). These confirm
mechanism but intensify the probability problem: ignition would require
coordinated regulatory action across multiple loci within a narrow window — a
vanishing likelihood under unguided convergence.
Table 9.3 — Illustrative Synchrony Probabilities
(Order-of-magnitude illustration under optimistic assumptions; stricter modeling typically lowers
probabilities further.)
Artifacts and the Timing Paradox
The archaeological record mirrors this genomic paradox: pre-70kya symbolism
(engraved ochre at Blombos ∼
100kya; beads at Qafzeh ∼90–100kya) vanishes
without continuity, whereas post-70kya durable, cumulative symbolism —
Chauvet cave paintings, bone flutes, burials with grave goods, figurines —
appears almost simultaneously across Africa, Europe, and Asia (d’Errico &
Stringer, 2011; Conard, 2009; Aubert et al., 2014). Such synchrony across
continents cannot be explained by climate alone — it reflects a cognitive
threshold already reached globally.