Modern human origins

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, B, 2001

The question of the mode of origin of modern humans (Homo sapiens) has dominated palaeoanthropological debate over the last decade. This review discusses the main models proposed to explain modern human origins, and examines relevant fossil evidence from Eurasia, Africa and Australasia. Archaeological and genetic data are also discussed, as well as problems with the concept of 'modernity' itself. It is concluded that a recent African origin can be supported for H. sapiens, morphologically, behaviourally and genetically, but that more evidence will be needed, both from Africa and elsewhere, before an absolute African origin for our species and its behavioural characteristics can be established and explained.

The Quarterly Review of Biology, 2014

International Encyclopedia of Anthropology, 2017

The origin and evolution of modern humans, their anatomy and behaviour, is one of the most debated topics in evolutionary anthropology today and is crucial for understanding how and why modern humans look and behave the way they do. Although it is agreed that humans emerged from Africa around 200,000 years ago, debates still surround the identification of the ancestral species of modern humans and the extent to which archaic species contributed to the modern human genome (which has implications for the Out of Africa and Multiregional hypotheses), the relationship between anatomical and behavioural modernity and how this affects the categorisation of fossils as “modern human”, and the exact centre of evolution within Africa (eastern or southern Africa). Only by drawing on a range of evidence from archaeology, palaeoanthropology, palaeontology, and genetic studies of both modern human populations and ancient DNA, can the origin of modern humans be illuminated.

Clark, G. A. &. Willermet, C. M (eds.). Conceptual issues in modern human origins research. Pp 191-201., 1997

It seems that in the long-lasting controversy on modern human origins little agreement has been reached between the proponents of the multiregional evolution and Out of Africa models. The current situation looks somewhat like a "thicket" of misreadings, polarization, and biases, which instead of clarifying the problems have caused more confusion (cf. Frayer et al. 1994a; Stringer and Brauer 1994). Thus, a number of basic questions about preconceptions, biases, and assumptions will be addressed in this paper, providing some insights into major causes for such a development. We have not restricted ourselves to our own model because the relevant problems become more evident and clear in comparison with opposite views. In addition, proposals for more efficient research are outlined.

Journal of Theoretical Biology, 1995

A current debate opposes two theories of the origin of modern man. One view is that modern Homo sapiens emerged from Africa relatively recently, most probably within the last two or three hundred thousand years (Wilson & Cann, 1992, Sci. Am. 266(4), 22-27). The opposing view is that modern man has resulted from parallel evolution in different regions, producing convergent modernization of local populations over the last million years or so-the multiregional model (Frayer et al., 1993, Am. Anthrop. 95, 14-50). Proponents of both views believe that their interpretations are irreconcilable. The object of the present paper is to describe a genetic mechanism-mitochondrial exclusion-which offers a basis for a model of human evolution that is compatible with the evidence adduced for both contemporary views. The model proposes a mechanism by which complete replacement of archaic mitochondrial DNA may have occurred in a population produced by recent admixture of archaic and modern types of man.

Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and …, 1992

Two competing hypotheses have long dominated specialist thinking on modern human origins. The first posits that modern people emerged in a limited area and spread from there to replace archaic people elsewhere. Proponents of this view currently favor Africa as the modern human

American Anthropologist, 2003

We present a review of the history of scientific inquiry into modern human origins, focusing on the role of the American Anthropologist. We begin during the mid-20th century, at the time when the problem of modern human origins was first presented in the American Anthropologist and could first be distinguished from more general questions about human and hominid origins. Next, we discuss the effects of the modern evolutionary synthesis on biological anthropology and paleoanthropology in particular, and its role in the origin of anthropological genetics. The rise of human genetics is discussed along two tracks, which have taken starkly different approaches to the historical interpretation of recent human diversity. We cover varying paleoanthropological interpretations, including paleoanthropologists' reactions to genetic interpretations. We hope to identify some of the crucial inflection points in which the debate went astray, to rectify some of the points of misunderstanding among current scientists, and to clarify the likely path ahead.

2013

H. Soodyall (ed.). The prehistory of Africa. Pp 10-20., 2006

In T. Rasmussen (ed.). The Evolution of Humans and Humanness. Pp 75-94, 1993