CHAPTER 11 The Origin and Dispersal of Modern Humans
Chapter Outline Approaches to Understanding Modern Human Origins The Earliest Discoveries of Modern Humans Something New and Different: The Little People Technology and Art in the Upper Paleolithic Summary of Upper Paleolithic Culture
Focus Question How can we determine when and where modern people first appeared?
Homo sapiens All contemporary populations are placed within H. sapiens.
Homo sapiens Most paleoanthropologists agree that fossil forms dating back as far as 100,000 ya should also be included in the same fully modern group as modern humans.
Questions About the Origin and Dispersal of Modern Humans When (approximately) did modern humans first appear? Where did the transition take place? What was the pace of evolutionary change? How quickly did the transition occur? How did the dispersal of modern humans to other areas of the Old World (outside of their area of origin) take place?
Models of Human Origins Regional Continuity: Multiregional Evolution Replacement Complete Partial
Regional Continuity Model: Multiregional Evolution Populations, connected by gene flow, in Europe, Asia, and Africa continued evolutionary development from archaic H. sapiens to anatomically modern humans. Associated with paleoanthropologist Milford Wolpoff of the University of Michigan.
Complete Replacement Model: Recent African Evolution Proposes anatomically modern populations arose in Africa in the last 200,000 years. They migrated from Africa, completely replacing premodern populations in Europe and Asia. Does not account for the transition from premodern forms to H. sapiens anywhere except Africa. Developed by British paleoanthropologists Christopher Stringer and Peter Andrews.
Partial Replacement Model Various perspectives suggest that modern humans originated in Africa and then, when their population increased, expanded out of Africa into other areas of the Old World. This model claims that interbreeding occurred between emigrating Africans and resident premodern populations.
Class Activity: Evaluating the Models Discuss three types of evidence Morphology in time and space Genetics Archaeological What patterns do you think would support each of the three models just profiled?
Time Line of Modern Homo Sapiens Discoveries: What do the Data Say?
Early Homo sapiens Discoveries From Africa and the Near East Dates Site Hominind Evolutionary Significance 195,000 ya Omo Ethiopia H. sapiens Oldest modern human; two crania found, one more modern looking than the other 154,000-160,000 ya Herto Ethiopia H. sapiens idaltu Well-preserved cranium; best-preserved early modern human found anywhere
Early Homo sapiens Discoveries From Africa and the Near East Dates Site Hominin Evolutionary Significance 115,000 ya Skhul Israel H. sapiens sapiens Minimum of 10 individuals; earliest modern humans known outside of Africa 110,000 ya Qafzeh Israel H. sapiens sapiens Large sample; modern, but some individuals fairly robust; early date
Herto Cranium Herto cranium from Ethiopia, dated 160,000 154,000 ya. Adult Mosaic of modern and premodern traits Very large, and extremely long cranial vault 1450 cm 3 Large, arching browridge and projecting occipital protuberance H. sapiens idaltu, idaltu is Afar language meaning elder
Specimens From Israel Skhül 5. (a) 130,000-100,000 ya Qafzeh 6 (b) 120,000-92,000 ya The vault height, forehead, and lack of prognathism are modern traits. Contemporary with Neandertals in Region
Key Early Modern Homo sapiens from Europe and Asia Dates Site Hominin Evolutionary Significance 40,000 ya Tianyuan Cave China H. sapiens sapiens Partial skull and a few postcranial bones; oldest modern human find from China 40,000-45,0 00 ya Niah Cve Borneo, Indonesia H. sapiens sapiens Partial skull recently redated more accurately; oldest modern human find from Asia
Key Early Modern Homo sapiens from Europe and Asia Dates Site Hominin Evolutionary Significance 30,000 ya Cro-Magno n France H. sapiens sapiens Most famous early modern human find; earliest evidence of modern humans in France 24,500 ya Abrigo do Lagar Velho Portugal H. sapiens sapiens Child s skeleton; possible hybrid of Neandertal and modern human, it is controversial
Geography of Modern Humans in East Asia and Australia
Australia 50,000 ya modern humans inhabited Sahul, area including New Guinea and Australia Lake Mungo, SE Australia (60,000?) 30,000-25,000 ya Kow Swamp 14,000-9,000 ya fossils with archaic features, including receding foreheads, heavy supraorbital tori, and thick bones
Geography of Modern Humans in Europe
Mladec and Dolní Crania The Mladec (a) and Dolní Věstonice (b) crania from the Czech Republic, is a good example of early modern Homo sapiens in central Europe. Along with Oase in Romania, the evidence for early modern H. sapiens appears first in central Europe, then later in western Europe.
Cro-Magnon I Cro-Magnon I (France). In this specimen, modern traits are quite clear. (a) Lateral view, (b) Frontal view
Neandertal/H. sapiens Admixture Abrigo do Lagar Velho hybrid child Recent Genetic comparisons of Neandertal DNA and contemporary humans Populations outside of Africa typically have more Neandertal DNA
Class Activity-Comparing Skulls Homo Sapiens Neandertals
Location of the Flores Site, Indonesia
Cultural Periods of the European Upper Paleolithic
World of the Upper Paleolithic Variable and sometimes resource-rich environment
Upper Paleolithic Archaeological Sites Larger populations aggregations More labor intensive architecture
Technological Innovations More efficient use of stone Bone, ivory and antler become more widely used raw materials Spear throwers
Innovations in Symbols More investment in grave offerings Variable social status reflected in grave offerings
Innovations in Symbols Over-designed artifacts Figurines
Innovations in Symbols Cave images
Precedents in Africa Apollo 11 28,000-26,000 ya Blombos Cave 73,000 ya Pinnacle Point 165,000 ya
Upper Paleolithic Activity Compare and contrast Upper Paleolithic technology to previous tool traditions (Oldowan, Achulean, Mousterian) What are some of the potential reasons for these differences?
Why It Matters Question: Are we all originally Africans?
Why It Matters Answer: Yes, all the early hominins evolved first in Africa and then migrated to other parts of the world only after several million years of evolutionary history confined solely to Africa. In every meaningful evolutionary and biocultural aspect, we are all Africans. The next time you seriously consider the meaning of race, think about your African roots.
QUICK QUIZ
1. Which of the following is NOT one of the hypotheses explaining the origins and dispersal of anatomically modern humans? a) the partial replacement model b) the regional continuity model c) the regional replacement model d) the complete replacement model
Answer: c The regional replacement model is NOT one of the hypotheses explaining the origins and dispersal of anatomically modern humans.
2. Scientists are fairly clear on when anatomically modern Homo sapiens first appeared. True False
Answer: False Scientists are not fairly clear on when anatomically modern Homo sapiens first appeared.
3. The holds that anatomically-modern populations arose in Africa within the last 200,000 years, migrated out and replaced populations in Europe and Asia. They did not interbreed because they were a separate species.
Answer: Complete Replacement Model 3. The Complete Replacement Model holds that anatomically modern populations arose in Africa within the last 200,000 years, migrated out and replaced populations in Europe and Asia. They did not interbreed because they were a separate species.
4. The model also known as "Recent African Evolution" is based on the origin of modern humans a) in Africa and their interbreeding with local African populations. b) in Africa and their replacement of local populations in Europe and Asia. c) in China and their relatively recent evolution in Africa. d) simultaneously in Africa and China.
Answer: b The model also known as "Recent African Evolution" is based on the origin of modern humans in Africa and their replacement of local populations in Europe and Asia.