Many language families in the New World...and from so humble a beginning?

Question

Modern anthropology places human settlement in the New World at roughly 20,000 years. By 1500, unique indigenous language families in the Americas number over 150. By comparison, Europe which had been settled by modern humans for over 40,000 years boasts only 4 unique language families (IE, Altaic, Uralic, and Basque). And Africa, which has been settled by modern humans for over 400,000 years, boasts only 5 unique language families. If all language families in the New World developed from people who crossed over the humble Bering Strait land bridge, how is it they cannot be genetically linked to each other, thus constituting one large language family (counter-parallel: Austronesian family, spreading from one island to many about 5,000 years ago, has not evolved into different families despite geographic separation)? Are they indeed related, but we just lack the evidence to prove it? Does this phenomenon directly challenge the very idea of genetic classification of languages?

Answer 1

Interesting observation.

I believe that the general idea of genetic classification of languages from common ancestry is sound.  The fact that language is usually passed down from parents to child makes the use of the term even more true.  The Aboriginal American languages do indeed need more study.  There may be reasons for the abundance of languages.  

Aboriginal Americans are more linguistically creative. –lol

The Americas were recently more predominately nomadic than in other parts of the world.  I would think that it was the travel more than the separation distance that could cause change.  One think you need to look at and not listen to is how these groups exchange information and trade without learning to speak each others language.

Much in the same way that the Internet is allowing small language groups to continue to speak their own language yet communicate across the globe with a computer,

Answer 2

Uh, you don't seem to understand what you're talking about.

Genetics is NOT the same as classification of languages.

New World people ARE genetically linked to each other.