the origin and dispersal of modern humans
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The origin and dispersal of modern humans. Oct. 21, 2008. Introduction. ~200-150 Ka the first modern Homo sapiens evolved in Africa; most likely from some African Homo heidelbergensis population When did they first appear? Where did the transition take place? - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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The origin and dispersal of modern humans
Oct. 21, 2008
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Introduction
• ~200-150 Ka the first modern Homo sapiens evolved in Africa; most likely from some African Homo heidelbergensis population
• When did they first appear?• Where did the transition take place?• What was the pace of evolutionary change?• How did the dispersal of modern humans take
place?• Why so successful?
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Approaches to understanding Modern Human Origins
• Complete replacement model
• Regional continuity, or multiregional evolution
• Partial Replacement
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Complete Replacement Model
• Recent African Evolution
• Stringer & Andrews, 1988
• Anatomically modern humans arose in Africa within the last 200 Ka as a result of a biological speciation event.
• As such, interbreeding with archaic hominids was not possible
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mtDNA and Y-chromosomal evidence on Modern Human Origins
• Neither is significantly altered during recombination or sexual reproduction
• African populations are the most genetically diverse• Powerful direct evidence of a genetic discontinuity
between Neanderthals and Modern Humans• Problem – Contamination, lost lineages and
population bottlenecks related to Pleistocene climatic fluctuations, volcano eruptions & differences in sex dispersal?
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Partial Replacement (or Assimilation) Model
• Some interbreeding occurred between modern humans and archaic hominids
• No speciation event occur, all hominids (from the Middle Pleistocene onwards) should be considered members of Homo sapiens
• Although, African populations probably have made the most contributions to modern populations; ‘mostly out of Africa’
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The Regional Continuity Model (or Multiregional Evolution)
• M. Wolpoff & A. Thorne• Local populations in Europe, Asia and Africa
continued their evolutionary development from premodern Middle Pleistocene forms to anatomically modern humans
• Assumptions – H. sapiens did not exclusively originate in Africa; Gene flow between regional populations; single, though polytypic species
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Seeing the big picture
• Disagreements are overstated and overdramatized
• High congruence between genetics and fossil evidence
• “strong” multiregional model highly unlikely
• Interbreeding between hominid species most likely was possible, but didn’t happen very often
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The Earliest discoveries of Modern humans
• Africa: Omo-Kibish (195 Ka), Herto (154-160 Ka), Border (60-80 Ka?), Blombos (73-140 Ka) and Klasies River Mouth (120 Ka) Caves
• The Near East: Skhul (100-130 Ka) and Qafzeh (92-120 Ka), Israel
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The Earliest discoveries of Modern humans
• Central Europe: Mladec, Czech Republic (31 Ka) and Oase Cave (35 Ka), Romania
• Western Europe: Cro-Magnon, France (30 Ka) and the Aurignacian (Upper Paleolithic stone tool industry).
• Asia: Zhoukoudian Upper Cave (27 Ka) and Tianyuan (40 Ka), China
• Niah Cave (35-45 Ka), Borneo• Australia: Lake Mungo (25-60 Ka), Kow Swamp (9-
14 Ka)
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Something new and different
• By 25 Ka modern humans occupy most major areas of the Old World and begin entering the New World ~15 Ka
• Remnant hominids in East Asia?: Homo erectus (>30-50 Ka) and Homo floresiensis (~18 Ka; 95-74 Ka to >12)
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Homo floresiensis
• The island of Flores, Indonesia• ~18 Ka
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Technology & Art in the Upper Paleolithic
• European Stone tool industries:
• Magdalenian, 17 Ka• Solutrean, 21 Ka• Gravettian, 27 Ka• Aurignacian and
Chatelperronian, 35-40 Ka• Africa – beads made from
ostrich egg shells ~38-50 Ka. Pinnacle point at 165 Ka with ocher, blades and exploitation of shellfish. Bone tools at Katanda, DRC, 80 Ka.
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Summary of Upper Paleolithic Culture• Stone tool industries of Europe -• Magdalenian, 17 Ka; atlatal and bow
& arrow, cave art• Solutrean, 21 Ka; artistic parallel
flaked lance heads• Gravettian, 27 Ka; Portugal child
burial with ochre• Aurignacian (associated with the first
modern humans in Europe) and Chatelperronian (associated with some of the last Neanderthals), 35-40 Ka
• Burials and grave goods• Venus figurines• Engravings• Climatic Fluctuations
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Abrigo do Lagar Velho, Portugal (Gravettian 24.5 Ka)
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Images of early Modern humans
Cro-Magnon
Skhul
Characteristics of Modern Humans:
-Vertical forehead
- Canine fossa
- Relatively small brow ridges and face
- Pyramidal mastoid process
- Definite chin
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Klasies River Mouth
Qafzeh
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