The 10,000 year talking point

Denyse O'Leary wrote this rather interesting post on Uncommon Descent, to which I attempted to add comments. Recently I had to change my Uncommon Descent ID (for some reason I could no longer log on with the old one) and briefly had the opportunity to comment without censorship. Indeed my first comment in response to Denyse appeared immediately. However, my second comment did not appear - so maybe that brief respite is over. I have tried to reproduce the essence of that lost second comment here.

Her comment is in defence of the 66% of Americans who think that the statement, “Creationism, that is, the idea that God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years” is definitely or probably true. Her argument is that:

Something happened to human beings relatively recently (less than ten thousand years ago) that did not happen to lemurs, toads, or ants.

So even if they got the detail wrong - they are half right.

This led to me think about the nature of that something. There is a bit of an issue about dates - and that is covered very well by some of the comments - but setting that aside what is this something? After all something has happened to most species over the last 10,000 years. It might be external (forced to migrate by the climate change) or internal (evolved longer coats or different courting rituals). But clearly Denyse believes that this something was different in nature and extraordinary that happened to humans.

From what she writes it is to do with our capabilities (e.g. she refers to constructions such as cities and the pyramids as evidence). But of course our abilities are increasing all the time at an accelerating pace through technology and also education. It must be some kind of innate additional capability e.g. language.

But humans were scattered all over the globe 10,000 years ago and long before then. So did it happen everywhere simultaneously or was it phased in? Did it happen to individuals suddenly or gradually? At conception, birth or during their lifetimes? Did it happen to everyone or were some left out?

Is the effect of this something hereditary? If not, presumably it happens for each individual at some point in their lives (conception perhaps?). If hereditary, then is it a function of our genes or what?

Are there still people for which it has not happened? Am I one? (This might explain a lot)

I don't expect any answers - but maybe some options