4 ms·

But the vast majority of the DNA of the vast majority of us is Sapiens, from Africa, no? If not, do you have any sources?

flukus 7y ago
Just last week was a 210,000 year old skull in Greece: https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-07-11/modern-humans-in-eurasia-earlier/11296454 https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-07-11/modern-humans... and there is a 310,00 year old one in Morocco: https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-06-08/300-000-year-old-remains-pushes-back-origin-of-species/8594632 https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-06-08/300-000-year-... . The second is in Africa but not where we thought modern humans originated from and combined both of them at least put some doubt on the timing of the out of africa model. I think there are some older ones in China too. Saying it's disproven is taking things way too far but it's getting very messy and DNA can only take us so far. My own uninformed wild guess: The out of africa population that came to dominance started out as a seafaring culture, this explains their rapid expansion along mostly coastal routes, making it to Australia just a few thousand years after leaving africa and giving them a competitive advantage over other groups.
- mc32 7y ago
  Why wasn’t Madagascar inhabited till relatively recently is the disappearing was a marine endeavor?
  - flukus 7y ago
    When I say seafaring I still mean mainly coastal seafaring. Assuming they could Island hop through Comoros (if it existed) that's still an 1100KM trip compared to the less than 100KM to get into Australia and almost continuous land between there and Africa. Maybe wind and ocean patterns could explain some of it too.
    - mc32 7y ago
      Madagascar is about 100 to 120 miles from the African continent. Not too different from Cuba to Florida. In the same ballpark. But, I hear what you're saying. Deep sea vessels vs littoral hugging vessels.
- mannykannot 7y ago
  Issues of timing and of the interbreeding of new arrivals with established populations seem to be second-order effects that don't (yet?) fundamentally challenge the broad out-of-africa scenario.

flukus 7y ago

Just last week was a 210,000 year old skull in Greece: https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-07-11/modern-humans-in-eurasia-earlier/11296454 https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-07-11/modern-humans... and there is a 310,00 year old one in Morocco: https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-06-08/300-000-year-old-remains-pushes-back-origin-of-species/8594632 https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-06-08/300-000-year-... . The second is in Africa but not where we thought modern humans originated from and combined both of them at least put some doubt on the timing of the out of africa model. I think there are some older ones in China too. Saying it's disproven is taking things way too far but it's getting very messy and DNA can only take us so far. My own uninformed wild guess: The out of africa population that came to dominance started out as a seafaring culture, this explains their rapid expansion along mostly coastal routes, making it to Australia just a few thousand years after leaving africa and giving them a competitive advantage over other groups.

mc32 7y ago
Why wasn’t Madagascar inhabited till relatively recently is the disappearing was a marine endeavor?
- flukus 7y ago
  When I say seafaring I still mean mainly coastal seafaring. Assuming they could Island hop through Comoros (if it existed) that's still an 1100KM trip compared to the less than 100KM to get into Australia and almost continuous land between there and Africa. Maybe wind and ocean patterns could explain some of it too.
  - mc32 7y ago
    Madagascar is about 100 to 120 miles from the African continent. Not too different from Cuba to Florida. In the same ballpark. But, I hear what you're saying. Deep sea vessels vs littoral hugging vessels.
mannykannot 7y ago
Issues of timing and of the interbreeding of new arrivals with established populations seem to be second-order effects that don't (yet?) fundamentally challenge the broad out-of-africa scenario.