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Human evolution is always a topic of controversy. The study of genomes and the organisation of fossils help scientists conclude humans’ origin. Different scientists have different theories regarding it. However, the most accepted theory is “out of Africa”. According to this theory, Homo sapiens originated in Africa 200,000 years ago. Then, they start migrating to different parts of the world. Another model that explains the origin of Human Beings is the “multiregional model”. It is believed that humans began to migrate from Africa to other countries such as Europe and Asia. They adapt themselves according to their migrated geographical region, due to which there is significant variability among the same species of Homo sapiens in different parts of the world.
Multiregional Model
The Multiregional model is also famous as the Regional Continuity model. This model states that the early humans, after leaving Africa, formed several regional groups surrounding the areas of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Now, humans settle in these regions and adapt accordingly to their climatic conditions. As a result, interbreeding happened between the different regional populations. However, due to adaptations, humans from different areas develop certain specific characters complementary to their geographic regions.
Out of Africa Hypothesis
As already stated, this model is the most accepted model of human evolution. It is popular by different names such as The Garden of Eden hypothesis and the Noah’s Ark hypothesis. According to this model, Humans originated 200,000 years ago from Africa from single ancestors, i.e. hominids. Homo sapiens evolved from their ancestors and migrated to the Middle Eastern region 100,000 years ago. Adaptation is necessary for the survival of the species. Therefore, humans had to adapt to their migrated geographical region to survive. This adaptation leads to different physical characteristics among humans of different regions. Due to their well-adaptive nature, Homo sapiens replaced all other species of the genus Homo.
Evidence of “Out of Africa Model”
The evidence that supports the Out of Africa hypothesis is as follows:
- Genetic Evidence: The genetics studies reveal that Africa has humans’ most extensive genetic variation. The genetic variations of Africans are even more than the combined diversity of the rest of the world.
- Mitochondrial Eve: The origin of Mitochondrial DNA in humans is traced back to a woman from Africa, i.e. 50,000 to 500,000 years ago. She is famous as the Mitochondrial Eve. The DNA of the foetus has both paternal and maternal DNA. However, the mitochondrial DNA only comes from the mother of the child. This evidence clearly shows the Human rising in the African region.
- Mapping Skull: Scientists studied the genetic makeup of approximately 53 different skulls and concluded that the more the Human species move farther from Africa, the lesser they vary in their genetic makeup.
Migration from Africa
Humans started migrating from the African continent to different parts of the world (especially in Europe and Asia) between 70,000 and 10,000 years ago. It is believed that Homo sapiens reached Africa approximately 65,000 years ago.
- Reason for Migration: According to the studies of landmasses and climate, a land bridge was created due to the Pleistocene Ice Age. This land bridge is supposed to connect North America and Asia. The early humans may have crossed this bridge to migrate to North America. People have developed speaking and language skills that helped them organise plans and carry them out effectively. Moreover, they become smarter to solve basic problems that might be in their way. However, there is no solid evidence but only hypotheses to support these theories.
Adaptations after Migration
The climate of Africa was much warmer than the climates where the Human species migrated. To adapt to such colder climates, they hunt animals for their skins and make clothing out of them. Moreover, they lit fires to keep them warm. They develop basic weapons such as spears and bows and arrows for hunting. They can even kill larger animals with these basic weapons, such as mammoths. They also learnt the idea of self-defence from the predator animals by killing them. They started using their available resources and formed semi-permanent settlements. They were no more completely nomadic. However, they migrate in search of food and other resources necessary for living.
Conclusion
The discussion of the History of African ancestors of Human beings tells us that the most accepted origin of the species of Homo sapiens is the native of Africa. The theory or the hypothesis is famous as the “Out of Africa” theory. According to this, Humans originated 200,000 years ago from Africa from single ancestors, i.e. hominids. The Homo sapiens evolved from their ancestors and then migrated to the Middle Eastern region 100,000 years ago. The land bridge created due to the Pleistocene Ice Age helped them migrate to North America. They started to adapt to their present geographical region, due to which there is significant variability among Humans of different locations. Several pieces of evidence support this theory, as stated above.
