I'm not a literalist so I'm not too concerned about the 6000 years. I'm prepared to agree that it might have been longer.
6000 is too short for the age of the earth and other aspects of the creation story. However, it is about right for a written record, which include material transcribed from folk lore. Collective memories don't go back all that far.
As I understand evolutionary change it seems to stay realtively dormant for long periods and then it goes in spurts.
But it wouldn't go in the same spurts in China, in Africa, in Europe, in the middle east. There should be some human populations still existing where people live to almost 1000. Where are they?