A New Theory of Humanity's Origins
Despite popular depictions, humanity likely didn't originate out of one population. (Source: Warner Bros.)
The “Out of Africa” hypothesis, or the clunkier Recent African Origin of Modern Humans, is the near-universally accepted theory of our species’ origin, but how exactly we got started remains debated. The earliest human remains are known to the north of the continent, dating to over 300,000 years ago, but the fossil record only tells us so much about the diverging branches of the Homo genus tree. It’s been long held that human beings owe their origins to one specific population that diverged from an archaic human ancestor, but a genetics-based study published this week in Nature has challenged this idea.
These recent findings suggest Homo sapiens are the product of two divergent populations, not one as had been accepted. This is based on genomic sequencing from contemporary Africans across the continent, whose genetic makeup is best explained by two distinct branches that nonetheless interbred with each other. These findings are limited insofar as they can’t say where exactly these populations lived, but they being distinct from each other supports a geographical separation. The projected timeline suggests these two branches existed alongside each other for about a million years, before converging 120,000 years ago and later migrating out of the continent.
Genetic diversity in modern-day Africa.
The study drew from four possible genetic models to explain the origins of Homo sapiens: a “single-population expansion, single-population expansion with regional persistence, archaic hominin admixture and multi-regional evolution.” It found that two distinct populations best explains the genetic diversity exhibited by contemporary Africans, bolstered by additional interbreeding with Neanderthals who originated about 500,000 years ago. The jump to Homo sapiens likely happened more than once independently, resulting in the divergent genetic makeup of populations living in Northern Africa and the Horn of Africa today.
An analog to our species’ beginning might be found in the K/Pg extinction event. Just as we now know the Age of Dinosaurs ended in a long whimper and not a climatic bang, our species began slowly across a period of a million years, with no one single origin point. It is unlikely we will ever have a perfectly clear image of the dawn of our species. Genetic findings can give us the big picture, and the fossil record provides case examples, but there will always be gaps in our knowledge of that bridge between humanity and the rest of the animal kingdom.
Featured Product
Trunk or Treat Woolly Mammoth T-Shirt
Latest News
-
Nov 01, 2025 Is “Paul is Dead” Dead?: Unpacking One Of Pop Culture’s Most Enduring Conspiracy Theories Read More -
Oct 31, 2025 Scientists Discover Hooves and Skin in Preserved Dinosaur "Mummies!" Read More -
Oct 27, 2025 Scientists Record a Bat Catching Birds Mid-Flight! Read More -
Oct 09, 2025 Scientists Discover First Fossilized Leech! Read More -
Oct 01, 2025 Researchers Recreate Dinosaur Sounds Using Bizarre Instrument! Read More -
Sep 19, 2025 The House that Ruth Built: The Story of the Old Yankee Stadium Read More
Cool Things!
Is “Paul is Dead” Dead?: Unpacking One Of Pop Culture’s Most Enduring Conspiracy Theories
Scientists Discover Hooves and Skin in Preserved Dinosaur "Mummies!"
A dinosaur discovery just in time for Halloween! In a new analysis of a group of fossils from Wyoming, Scientists have determined this group of fossils are dinosaur “mummies,” with preserved skin and even hooves.
Scientists Record a Bat Catching Birds Mid-Flight!
Bats, birds, screeches, oh my! In a reverse-Hitchcock twist, a new study reveals that a species of European bat catches and eats birds mid-flight.
Specimen Deep Dives
The House that Ruth Built: The Story of the Old Yankee Stadium
The Queen of the Skies: the Story of the Boeing 747
Old Ironsides: The USS Constitution and the Start of the U.S. Navy
Long Form Articles
The Artist Behind the Macintosh: Susan Kare and Apple Computers
While the two Steves, Jobs and Wozniak, are the most well known faces behind Apple computers, equally important to the products and culture of the company were those who crafted the experience of using their computers through design. The most notable of these visual architects was Susan Kare, a designer responsible for “humanizing” Macintosh computers.
Can I Lick It? Yes You Can!
Have you ever been unable to tell if a fossil was really a fossil, but you were too embarrassed to admit it? Have you ever wanted to lick a fossil just because, but you didn’t want to risk judgment from your peers? Well, good news! You can kill two birds with one stone! Licking a fossil can actually help you determine if it’s the real deal or just another rock.
Is It Legal To Own a Meteorite: How to Start Your Outer Space Collection!
Meteorites are some of the rarest geological specimens to be found on Earth. Of course, since these stones are not of our world, purchasing them can sometimes be a confusing process. Is it legal to own a meteorite? In short, yes! Read on for help starting your cosmic collection!
