Recent Research in Humanity's Migration Out of Africa Took Place More Recently Than Previously Believed

Humans spread out of Africa later

Modern humans spread out of Africa 20,000 years later than previously thought, according to new genetic research just published. Detailed world map showing directions and times of major migration of modern humans. New research shows they spread out of Africa 20,000 years later than previously thought at around 55-60,000 years ago.

© Trends in Ecology & Evolution

Research scientists are constantly developing new approaches to developing innovative methods  to examine information obtained from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Professor Chris Stringer has been studying the various methods scientists use to determine chronologies for important points in human evolutionary history.

"Mitochondria are the tiny structures in each human cell that produce the cell’s power. They contain their own DNA and this is inherited through the mother."

‘We tried alternative ways to date recent episodes in human evolution, such as our split from Neanderthals, and we found these events occurred more recently in time,’ says Prof Stringer.

It is now believed that modern humans and Neanderthals underwent a species separation approximately 300-400,000 years ago; this is much earlier than the previously accepted era 500-600,000 years ago.

It is believed that: "modern humans migrated out of Africa between 55-60,000 years ago rather than the previous dates of 70-80,000 years."

Researchers have also ascertained "more recent dates for other crucial events such as the age of our African ancestral mother, known as mitochondrial Eve, from who all recent humans (Homo sapiens) descended. She was found to have lived around 110-130,000 years ago, rather than previous estimates of 150,000-200,000 years ago.

‘The new dates are consistent with the most recent fossil and archaeological data for Neanderthal evolution, our exit from Africa and our arrival in Asia, Australia, Europe and the Americas,’ says Prof Stringer.

‘And they also cast doubt on ideas of an early exit from Africa towards China and Australia.’

Sources: PHYSORG.COM; Chris Stringer, Phillip Endicott, Simon Y.W. Ho, and Mait Metspalu's Evaluating the Mitochondrial Timescale of Human Evolution paper is published in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution; American Museum of Natural History (news : web)