The "Out of Africa" Hypothesis

The Out of Africa Hypothesis

Models of Recent Human Evolution.

There are two competing theories to explain how Homo sapiens came to dominate the world, in contrast to other hominins

These theories are called the out of Africa theory and the Multiregional model.

Basic facts on which both models agree

Hominins first left Africa and established population in other parts of the world ( first southern Asia, China and Java, later Europe) by 1.8million years ago.

Humans today are quite different anatomically and behaviourally from archaic people (that is before 40,000 years ago) anywhere i the world. Human populations today are genetically very similar to each other.

African populations today are more genetically diverse than population in oter parts of the world.

Recent humans in Europe and Asia share a few features with the ancient archaic people who lived in those places before 40,000 years ago.

those were the points which both models agree on.

Out of Africa model

One of the largest supporters is Chris Stringer.

This model argues that our species (homo sapien originated in a particular time and place in Africa,

The model.

Around 600,000 years ago, some populations of homo erectus had evolved into a new species of hominin called Homo heidelbergensis (as found in Boxgrove).

Members of this species have been found in Africa, Europe and possibly China.

After about 400,000 years, heidelbergensis had evolved into two separate species (possibly more).

The Neanderthals originated in Europe, Homo sapiens (us) originated in Africa.

Around 100,000 years ago, a population of homo sapiens left Africa and began to spread across the globe.

All other hominins descended from Homo erectus were replaced by Homo sapiens and became extinct.

This…