The 35 million number is basic math = take any 40 people over 25 generations, assume that they couple and breed and each couple produces an average of 4 offspring = you get to 35 million pretty quickly. If you add in, as you suggest, exogamy, you get there even quicker.
This math would also indicate that the larger groups that came later, such as the Irish, German, Chinese, and Africa Americans of the 18th and 19th century, and the eastern Europeans, Asians and Latinos of the 20th century, would by the very volume overwhelm the earlier settlers in terms of offspring. I suspect this fact is the at root of the anti-immigration movement, as those most vocal are usually "average white men". I take great pleasure in responding to the bigoted rants of some of these men who are of Irish descent by forwarding them quotes that were made about the Irish 100 years ago. On Wed, Jun 9, 2010 at 8:58 AM, Larry C. Lyons <[email protected]> wrote: > The best I could find is this reference > http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-64644389.html that estimates 35 > million. I have my suspicions on this number, mainly because it does > not take into account endogamy or exogamy (marrying inside or outside > one's particular group). Nor does it take into account those who died > without descendants. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology-Michael-Dinowitz/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:320731 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
