April 2018^ DISCOVER^69NEW MODEL
According to the new model proposed in the
December review in Science, H. sapiens evolved
in Africa but left the continent much earlier,
about 120,000 years ago, and in multiple waves
of migration. In January, the work of a separate
team, also published in Science, pushed the
start date for modern humans migrating out of
Africa even farther back: Anatomically modern
human fossils found in Israel were dated to more
than 170,000 years old. While some of the early
pioneers perished, others survived, reaching as
far as Australia and East Asia. There, and along
the way, migrating H. sapiens met and sometimes
interbred with other hominins, including
Neanderthals in Europe and Denisovans in Asia,
as well as, potentially, other populations not yet
known to science. The new and more complex
model doesn’t just reflect the latest research — it
also emphasizes the interconnectedness of our
entire species and our closest kin.
EUROPE ASIA
AFRICA
120,000-
170,000
years ago60,000
years agoAnatomically modern
human (Homo sapiens)
migrations (estimated)EARLY WAVES
60,000-170,000+
years agoLATER WAVES
30,000-60,000
years agoA partial jawbone from an
anatomically modern human,
found in Israel, is more than
170,000 years old.