Early Modern Humans Left Africa Earlier

[Sparhafoc]

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6374/456

Abstract

To date, the earliest modern human fossils found outside of Africa are dated to around 90,000 to 120,000 years ago at the Levantine sites of Skhul and Qafzeh. A maxilla and associated dentition recently discovered at Misliya Cave, Israel, was dated to 177,000 to 194,000 years ago, suggesting that members of the Homo sapiens clade left Africa earlier than previously thought. This finding changes our view on modern human dispersal and is consistent with recent genetic studies, which have posited the possibility of an earlier dispersal of Homo sapiens around 220,000 years ago. The Misliya maxilla is associated with full-fledged Levallois technology in the Levant, suggesting that the emergence of this technology is linked to the appearance of Homo sapiens in the region, as has been documented in Africa.

Poke-fossils: you gotta catch 'em all!

 

[fishardansin]

Hola,

It requires registration to read the whole article. While I have no reason to doubt that our species left Africa prior to 70k years ago, we do have reason to doubt that they were our ancestors. As far as I know, at this point, DNA for all of us outside Africa all trace back to one migration 70k years ago. Of course, these earlier populations could be some of the other genes we find in different populations.

Does the article say anything about DNA and whether we descend from any of these earlier migration?

 

[Gnug215]

Hola,

It requires registration to read the whole article. While I have no reason to doubt that our species left Africa prior to 70k years ago, we do have reason to doubt that they were our ancestors. As far as I know, at this point, DNA for all of us outside Africa all trace back to one migration 70k years ago. Of course, these earlier populations could be some of the other genes we find in different populations.

Does the article say anything about DNA and whether we descend from any of these earlier migration?

Hi fishardansin, and welcome.

Apologies for the delay in approving your post. We have very strict spam filters...

 

[Sparhafoc]

Hola,

It requires registration to read the whole article. While I have no reason to doubt that our species left Africa prior to 70k years ago, we do have reason to doubt that they were our ancestors.

Do we?

Please do share this incredible font of data I somehow missed while studying and teaching human evolution over the last 3 decades.

As far as I know, at this point, DNA for all of us outside Africa all trace back to one migration 70k years ago. Of course, these earlier populations could be some of the other genes we find in different populations.

We know very well that the modern sapiens genome includes genes from other human populations.

Does the article say anything about DNA and whether we descend from any of these earlier migration?

We don't descend from any of those earlier migrations (we share a common ancestor), so no it doesn't.