Where Did Humans Come From?
Humans are an incredibly fascinating species that have evolved over millions of years in order to thrive in the environment they live in. But understanding our human ancestor’s evolutionary journey over millions of years and how we got to where we are today is an interesting, complex and ongoing story. This article takes a crawl inside the ever-evolving history to discover the origins of humanity and look at where did humans come from in the grand scheme of the world.
What is the Origin of Humankind?
At the most basic level, humans evolved from common ancestors with chimpanzees and bonobos, which are considered to be our closest living relatives. Evolutionary theory suggests that these human-like primates split from an ancestor about 7 million years ago in what is now central Africa. This ancestral group then split further into two distinct lineages — the chimpanzees and the ancestors of modern humans — roughly 2 to 5 million years ago.
Evidence of Anatomically Modern Humans
Anatomically modern humans first appeared between 300,000 and 200,000 years ago. The earliest Homo sapiens fossils show this were discovered in South Africa in the 1920s. These fossils’ structure matched that of modern humans — including their brain size and complexity — further supporting the idea that Homo sapiens likely evolved in Africa and spread out across the world.
DNA evidence shows that all people alive today are related to a single ancient population known as the Mitochondrial Eve. This population likely emerged in East Africa around 200,000 years ago and later spread over other parts of the world.
Phases of Human Migration
Recent studies suggest that modern humans began to migrate away from Africa roughly 60,000 years ago. This initial wave of migration was primarily focused on parts of the Middle East and included the many new places like Australia and Asia.
These migrating populations then spread over other areas throughout the world, including Europe and the Americas. There were multiple waves of migration throughout this period of history, with people reaching the Americas via land bridge transportation roughly 15,000 years ago.
The evolution of humankind has been an incredible and fascinating journey to witness. By tracing our roots back to a common ancestor with chimpanzees and bonobos, we now have a clearer understanding of where humans originally came from. As research continues to unfold, we can further our journey of discovery and finally close the chapter on the long-standing mystery of humankind.
Key Takeaways
• Humans evolved from common ancestors with chimpanzees and bonobos about 7 million years ago in central Africa.
• Anatomically modern humans first appeared between 300,000 and 200,000 years ago.
• All people alive today are related to a single ancient population known as the Mitochondrial Eve.
• The first wave of human migration began roughly 60,000 years ago and was mainly focused on parts of the Middle East.
• Populations reached the Americas via land bridge transportation roughly 15,000 years ago.
