Out Of Africa Theory Essay

733 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: africa and its problems essay

The origin of modern humans has been debated for years. On either side of the debate lies the multi-regional theory, and the Out of Africa theory. The multi-regional theory states that Homo erectus left Africa, and after separating into different regions, collectively evolved into the modern humans we see today. The Out of Africa theory states that modern humans evolved in Africa, and then migrated to different regions. In this theory, it is believed that modern humans replaced all other descendants of Homo erectus. The Out of Africa theory is generally more accepted, and the evidence in favor of it is compelling. Much of the evidence for the multi-regional theory has been falsified. However, there are still strong supporters for each theory. …show more content…

In this theory, modern humans evolved in Africa and then migrated, proceeding to wipe out other Homo erectus descendants. The different populations (after migrating from Africa) would evolve independently or into separate species, with no interbreeding involved. There is quite a bit of evidence to support this. Firstly, the anatomical differences between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals shows speciation (which directly challenges the multi-regional theory). There is evidence of modern humans in the anatomical sense found in Africa at the same time as Neanderthals, furthering the idea of speciation. From an archaeological standpoint, there were similarities between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens at first. However, Homo sapiens developed “modern thinking,” whereas in Neanderthals, there is no evidence of this. These Homo sapiens would eventually migrate, and Neanderthals disappeared. From a genetic standpoint, humans have little genetic variation, but the most genetic variation is found in Africa. This suggests that modern humans originated in Africa, because time has led to more genetic diversity (Donald Johanson, …show more content…

The multi-regional theory has been often discredited for its lack of evidence, and its points have been falsified by many archaeological and genetic findings. I feel that the multi-regional theory has no basis. On the other hand, the evidence for the Out of Africa theory is staggering, from an archaeological, genetic, and anatomical standpoint. There are some points I disagree with in this theory, especially in regards to interbreeding between modern and archaic populations. Some analysis suggest that a small amount of inbreeding may have occurred, in addition to large scale replacement (Smithsonian Institution, 2016). Overall, I feel that this theory has a better explanation for the origin of modern humans, and fits the evidence we have found thus far. Until more evidence is found to say otherwise, it clearly wins the debate on our

Show More
Related

  • Proof that Humans Interbred with Neanderthals

    1346 Words  | 3 Pages

    Over the last few hundred years, more and more has been added to the world’s fossil collection, fossils from all over the world. New theories have been created and old theories have almost been proven about the evolution of man. For example, we have proof that different species of man existed with certain types of DNA sequences and instincts, some we may not have anymore, or some that other species did not have back then. Even though it is subjected to much debate, one of the most widely accepted theories however, is that Homo sapiens interbred with the slightly more primitive species of man, the Neanderthal.

    Read More

  • Interbreeding Between Neandertals and Modern Humans

    1344 Words  | 3 Pages

    My research strives to answer the presence and degree of interbreeding between Neanderthal and Modern humans. Researchers use different comparisons of the fossil record, phylogenetic, morphological, and genetic methods to explore these questions in more detail. The literature provided many positive correlations to my hypothesis that Neandertals and Modern Humans interbred on a small-scale basis after the dispersal of modern humans from Africa. The literature also predicts a time frame of likely interbreeding. To explore this question it is important to research article’s explaining the statistical, genetic, and physical evidence associated with possible interbreeding.

    Read More

  • Evolution and The Island of Doctor Moreau

    1421 Words  | 3 Pages

    Myers, provider of source material for Edie Heydt's notes from "Human Origins," fall 1997, Alfred. Much of the material in the notes is paraphrased, and the original information sources are unknown.

    Read More

  • Kwame Anthony Appiah Analysis

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    About a million years ago, early humans spread out of Africa into Asia and Europe. These tools remind us that human technology, culture and the species itself all began in Africa.

    Read More

  • Homo Sapiens: The Regional Continuity Theory And The Replacement?

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...tween certain modern human populations, but it simply does not hold water when compared with the far more solid evidence presented by the Out-of-Africa Theory. As David C. Johanson, the professor who discovered the famous “Lucy” Australopithecus afarensis skeleton, puts it, “the majority of anatomical, archaeological and genetic evidence gives credence to the view that fully modern humans are a relatively recent evolutionary phenomenon. The current best explanation for the beginning of modern humans is the Out of Africa Model that postulates a single, African origin for Homo sapiens.”3 The Out-of-Africa Theory fulfills every question that the Regional Continuity Theory fails to, and provides the conclusive fossil and genetic record to back itself up. In terms of plausibility it comes out on top, and that is ultimately the horse I would back in this particular race.

    Read More

  • Cheikh Anta Diop Reflection Paper

    979 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is because of the activities we have done, and more importantly the people I have been introduced to, such as Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop that I am able to expand my horizons and maybe get a glimpse on what I have been missing. When a man who himself is African and shows how he believes so strongly in where he came from, it’s hard not to start to believe it yourself. Not only did he express his opinions, but he provided several research studies and findings that can link our evolution to Africa and prove himself. With skulls of different species, they could tell what race the men were and it even showed the development from the beginning to a homosapien sapien. With the fifth out of six species not having much of a forehead, you could come to the conclusion that the brain would also be different; sure enough it was missing the anterior lobe of the brain. That to me is just mind blowing and allowed me to be open to the idea that maybe there was an evolution from one species to the next.

    Read More

  • The Origin Of Modern Humans By Roger Lewin

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    The recent African origin of modern humans is the popular theory. The theory is called the “Out-of-Africa model”, and is also known more professionally as the recent single-origin hypothesis. The book speaks about how the hypothesis that humans have a single origin was published in Charles Darwin's book. The idea was mostly hypothetical until the 1980s, when it was confirmed by a study of DNA, combined with evidence based on physical studies of old specimens. According to genetic and fossil evidence, the original homosapiens evolved to modern humans only in Africa, around 200,000 to 100,000 years ago, with people from one area leaving Africa about 60,000 years ago and over a period of time taking over earlier human populations lik...

    Read More

  • The History of Human Evolution

    1520 Words  | 4 Pages

    By definition, human evolution is the development, both biological and cultural, of humans. Human ideologies of how the evolution of man came to be is determined by cultural beliefs that have been adopted by societies going back as far as the Upper Paleolithic era, some 40,000 years ago. Through the study of paleoanthropology, we have come to determine that a human is any member belonging to the species of Homo Sapiens. Paleoanthropologists, while studying the evolution of humans, identify and explain evolutionary changes that occur throughout time that aid in the development of the human species. It will be through the examination of human physical traits, human origins from pre-humans to modern humans, and major discoveries that we will be able to understand the history of human evolution.

    Read More

  • Origins Of Early Hominins And Modern Humans

    1208 Words  | 3 Pages

    Humans know or understand the theory of evolution and how they evolved from apes, but there is always talk of a missing link between apes and modern humans. Apes did not just suddenly evolve into modern day humans. Apes evolved into another species that fall into the relation of modern humans. This is what the missing link is referring to; we call the species hominins. Hominins comprised of many species actually, including but not limited to, Australopithecus afarensis and Homo erectus. Homo erectus may have been a direct descendant of modern Homo sapiens. These species hold strong evidence that they are the missing link between apes and modern humans. There are many pieces of evidence that lay the path of evolution from these species to modern humans, “…these include anatomy, living primate behavior, and genetic relationships” (Stanford, 237). Australopithecus afarensis comes first, existing about 3.9 to 2.9 million years ago, with intermediate anatomical traits between living apes and modern humans; their fossils were found in Africa (Yukimoto). About a million to two million years later, the species Homo erectus came into existence and lots of evidence has been found about this particular species, in fact, it was probable that it was the first species to leave Africa (Yukimoto). These species are significant in the evolution of modern humans. We do not have a clear path or even understand why these species emerged when they did or how they, in theory, eventually evolved into modern humans. We can only assume these things, by using various evolutionary processes such as natural selection, genetic bottleneck, and many more.

    Read More

  • The Origin Modern Humans

    1604 Words  | 4 Pages

    The origin of modern humans is a matter of debate. There are two different theories regarding the origin of modern humans or Homo sapiens. The first and primary theory states modern humans emerged in one place and from a single origin. This theory is known as the Recent African Origin Model. It suggests that modern humans are the product of speciation during the late Pleistocene in Africa. Homo sapiens eventually migrated out of Africa to Eurasia, and replaced all other human populations, without interbreeding. Some of the replaced populations are believe to be the Neanderthals and the Homo erectus. The second theory proposes that modern human evolution happened trough emigration, this is known as the multiregional evolution model. This model assumes that modern humans have an ancient rather than a recent African origin. This theory also talks about how all living humans derive from the species Homo erectus that left Africa nearly two million-years-ago. The multiregional view states that genes from all human populations of the Old World flowed among diverse areas and by coexisting, contributed to how modern humans look like nowadays. In order to understand the rise of modern human, it is important to first learn about the Neanderthals, group who existed and coexisted during the modern human evolution times. The Neanderthals are classified as an extinct subspecies of modern humans known as Homo sapiens Neanderthals, or as a separate human species called the Homo neanderthalensis. Both, the modern human and Neanderthal share some features and differ in others

    Read More

  • Evolution Vs Creationism Essay

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to rationalwiki,“Multiregionalism or the Multiregional Evolution (MRE) hypothesis is a model of Pleistocene human evolution, which argues the human species emerged in Africa 2 million years ago, and developed their modern forms in every area of the Old World.” This specific theory states that modern humans came from different ancestors that were descendants of a more common ancestor, Homo erectus. According to this theory, Neanderthals are only an ancestor of some Homo sapiens today, around the Europe area, and not the ancestors of Homo sapiens from other parts of the globe. The evidence for this, explained by American Institute of Biological Science, are facts such as that after each region 's common ancestor, there was a lot of interbreeding that caused the one Homo sapien species today. That being said, the excess of interbreeding this theory suggests, assumes that that is the primary causation for why modern day Homo sapiens don’t look different from each other despite having different

    Read More

  • Savanna Theory Versus Aquatic Ape Theory of Human Evolution

    1286 Words  | 3 Pages

    The evolution of man is constantly in question. While we are reasonably sure that modern humans and primates are both related to the same common ancestor, there is constant debate over what initially caused the two species to split into early hominids and apes. According to some, our longest and most popular theory on the division of man and ape is profoundly wrong. However, those same individuals usually offer an equally controversial theory as a substitute, one that is almost impossible to scientifically test or prove. Both the Savanna Theory and the Aquatic Ape Theory offer solutions to how and why humans evolved into bipedal toolmakers. But with enough questioning, each loses its accountability to rhetorical science.

    Read More

  • The Origin of Modern Humans

    1944 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout history, humans have asked many questions in regards to our own beginnings. Religion and science have examined what makes us who we are, and have tried to answer the enduring question of our own modern origins. Scientifically, theories are still debated as to when, where, and how modern Homo sapiens came to be what they are today. There are two major theories that now dominate the discussions of experts in the field of biological anthropology: the “Out-of-Africa” model and the “Multiregional” model of evolution. Stringer and Andrews argue that genetic and paleontological evidence supports a more recent Out-of-Africa model as opposed to a more drawn out Multiregional method that also incorporates gene flow (1263). In contrast, Wolpoff, Hawks, and Caspari claim that the Multiregional model is misunderstood, and clearing up discrepancies could bolster support for this theory instead (129). Pearson notes that while people like Wolpoff et al defend the Multiregional model, archaeological evidence seems to show that likely no intermixture between modern Homo sapiens and other archaic hominins happened during the spread of early Homo sapiens out of Africa (145). It is easy to see that the debate lingers onwards with an end not clearly in sight. This paper will further examine the arguments asserted by these authors and identify their core arguments, the data they use to support their arguments and determine which paper is the most convincing of the three.

    Read More

  • Colonialism In Africa Essay

    855 Words  | 2 Pages

    The craftiness of colonialism on Africa changed its history forever but there were good and bad effects because they built schools and improved medical care but they also had segregated benefits and resource drainage.

    Read More

  • Colonialism In Africa Essay

    989 Words  | 2 Pages

    An overwhelming majority of African nations has reclaimed their independence from their European mother countries. This did not stop the Europeans from leaving a permanent mark on the continent however. European colonialism has shaped modern-day Africa, a considerable amount for the worse, but also some for the better. Including these positive and negative effects, colonialism has also touched much of Africa’s history and culture especially in recent years.

    Read More

More about Out Of Africa Theory Essay

Open Document