Understanding the spread of early modern humans has been a question many anthropologists and archeologists have been try to answer. There are two main theories discussing the spread of early modern humans: Out of Africa Theory and Multiregional Evolution Theory. The Out of Africa Theory suggests that Homo erectus evolved into Homo sapiens in Africa, and after the evolution, they ventured out of Africa and dispersed to all around the world. The Multiregional Evolution Theory suggests that Homo erectus ventured out of Africa and then evolved into modern man in several different locations throughout the world. These two theories both try to offer an understanding of how and when modern humans evolved and dispersed across the world, but in order
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To verify the Out of Africa Theory, the fossils found in Africa needs to show presence of Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, Homo sapien in the right sequence and time period. Examining morphological features such as the facial structure and skeletal structure can help correctly classify these fossils in the correct taxon. The fossils that need to be found outside of Africa need to be predominantly Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapien because the Out of Africa theory claims that dispersal occurred after the evolution of Homo sapiens. However, if the fossil record outside of Africa contains evidence of Homo erectus fossils, then the theory may lose some its validity. This type of analysis assumes that that there is a binary outcome that would either validate or support either …show more content…
Mitochondrial DNA analysis (mtDNA) and Y Chromosomal analysis could be avenues of finding definitive answers about the migration and evolution of hominids and early humans. Mitochondrial DNA analysis was the basis for the Out of Africa Theory because the DNA suggested that modern humans evolved from a “Mitochondrial Eve” about 150,000 years ago, and modern humans began to disperse between 35,000 and 89,000 years ago. Although mitochondrial DNA is a valid way to look at lineages, the time periods that this analysis produces does not match the fossil record’s establishment of dispersal out of Africa being around 1.8 million years ago and a second dispersal around 650,000 years ago. This discrepancy could again invalidate the Out of Africa Theory, but an examination of the Y chromosome could also support this
To verify the Out of Africa Theory, the fossils found in Africa needs to show presence of Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, Homo sapien in the right sequence and time period. Examining morphological features such as the facial structure and skeletal structure can help correctly classify these fossils in the correct taxon. The fossils that need to be found outside of Africa need to be predominantly Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapien because the Out of Africa theory claims that dispersal occurred after the evolution of Homo sapiens. However, if the fossil record outside of Africa contains evidence of Homo erectus fossils, then the theory may lose some its validity. This type of analysis assumes that that there is a binary outcome that would either validate or support either …show more content…
Mitochondrial DNA analysis (mtDNA) and Y Chromosomal analysis could be avenues of finding definitive answers about the migration and evolution of hominids and early humans. Mitochondrial DNA analysis was the basis for the Out of Africa Theory because the DNA suggested that modern humans evolved from a “Mitochondrial Eve” about 150,000 years ago, and modern humans began to disperse between 35,000 and 89,000 years ago. Although mitochondrial DNA is a valid way to look at lineages, the time periods that this analysis produces does not match the fossil record’s establishment of dispersal out of Africa being around 1.8 million years ago and a second dispersal around 650,000 years ago. This discrepancy could again invalidate the Out of Africa Theory, but an examination of the Y chromosome could also support this