Cameroon-Nweh/Bangwa, Mbo Yemba people: origin of modern humans?
A new study published in March 2013 in the American Journal of Human Genetics,has placed the Bangwa ,
the Mbo and the Yemba people based in southwest and west Regions of Cameroon at the origin of modern humans. This discovery was developed and published by scientists and geneticists of the University of Arizona, USA after the analysis of the DNA of an Africa American who submitted his DNA for tests so as to trace his family roots. They found that the male Y-chromosome found in this individual dates back to 338,000 years. Y chromosome are the hereditary factor that determine male sex. Unlike autosomal chromosomes, the Y and Mitochondrial chromosome do not mix during meiosis meaning that except for mutations, the Y haplotype remains constant from generation to generation thus enables an analysis to trace family roots. This findings pushes back by 138,000 years, the time that scientist previously believed modern humans first evolved. It’s worth noting that this discovery and subsequent publication was a completion of the work of Bonnie. Schrack, citizen scientist, Stanislaw Pietrzak, a polish Catholic priest and T. Krahn, who owns a testing laboratory in Houston Texas.
The study was headed by University of Arizona Professor Fernando Mendez and colleagues. They also analyzed more than 240.000 base pairs of the Y chromosome before finally publishing their findings in the American Journal of Human Genetics early 2013.
This discovery also pushes back the time when modern humans evolved from early hominids by 70% and put the people of Fontem (Bangwa/Newh), the Mbo and Yemba people at the origin of modern humans at least for now. Samples from these individuals matched the Y chromosome DNA of 11 men (ancestors), some of whose names according to Stanislaw Pietrzak include:
Mbekem b. 1875, Fontem
Atabong b. 1862, > Tanjuateh b. 1895, Fontem, Azi
Mbenzefeh b. 1888, Fontem
Ncheanzach TABI b. 1894, Mamfe
Tatuch b. 1903, Fontem
Tatych b. 1903, Fontem
Tatuch Anutechia b.1885, Fontem
George Techoukwi b. 1895, Fontem
Forethia b. 1885, Fontem
Emetem b. 1858, > Njualem Nwedlataw, Fontem
Aminde b. 1897, Fontem
Atemkeng b. 1846, > Thomas Ngwondong, Fontem, Lewoh.
Mbeh NtonGhawaH b. 1905, Fontem
Bangwa people, who are also known as the Nweh people comprise all villages in Fontem subdivision such as Lebang, Essoh-Attah and others in Alou sub division such as, Lewoh, Nwametaw, Ndungated etc in Lebialem, Cameroon, Africa. Bangwa Mbo and Yemba ( bamileke) people all share common boundaries. They also have similar cultural heritage.
This is what Dr Schrack had to say “Another thing I might mention is that our African American project members are a far closer match to the Bangwa people, whose haplotypes are found in the SMGF database...than to the Mbo who were sequenced. The Bangwa and Mbo are close neighbors, and rivals...when talking about who our project member's kinfolk in Africa might be, it's a far better chance they're Bangwa, from Fontem, Lebialem, than Mbo. We found two SNPs in our project members that were negative in the Mbo -- perhaps they'd be found positive if Bangwa were tested. Bonnie Schrack” Source http://www.yourgeneticgenealogist.com/2013/03/citizen-science-helps-to-rewrite-y.html
Ever since this discovery, Polish clergy and philanthropist Stanislaw Pietrzak has been mobilizing funds to assist people of Y chromosome or AOO Adam in the Fontem/Nweh area. The funds which have been and continue to be channeled to Agendia Aloysius, have been used to help needy families subsidise the education of theirs kids as well as pay for some medical bills.
ALOYSIUS AGENDIA