Regardless of ancestry, Hawaii residents of good will celebrate being able to live with and near those from other walks of life.
As the Associated Press article on human DNA analysis has revealed, however, evolutionary biologists have conclusively proved that our species often lived in the same areas and at the same times as distinctly different “cousins” who are no longer with us (“Science revealing genetic legacy from extinct cousins like Neanderthals in our DNA,” Star-Advertiser, Top News, Sept. 25).
These findings also reveal that some of these human cousins occasionally mated with members of our species, altering the biological makeup and trajectory.
It is difficult to wrap one’s mind around, but more than 99% of all species that ever lived are gone, and no species will be able to avoid extinction forever, including our own.
Therefore, it is incumbent on our leaders and fellow inhabitants to ask ourselves if the choices we are making and the actions we are taking are hastening our demise or postponing it.
Robert Griffon
Makiki
EXPRESS YOURSELF
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser welcomes all opinions. Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor.
>> Write us: We welcome letters up to 150 words, and guest columns of 500-600 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Include your name, address and daytime phone number.
>> Mail: Letters to the Editor, Honolulu Star-Advertiser 7 Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana, Suite #7-500 Honolulu, HI 96813
>> Contact: 529-4831 (phone), letters@staradvertiser.com, staradvertiser.com/editorial/submit-letter
