Running head: MODERN HUMAN ORIGINS
Modern Human Origins
Kate Heath
Anthropology 1010
1 December 2014
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Modern Human Origins
Many people have asked the questions, who are we and where did we come from? The scientists and paleoanthropologists of the world have seemed to have settled on one of two theories. The
Regional Continuity Model or Multiregional Evolution and the Replacement Model are widely accepted and also fiercely debated. Several books, movies and journal articles have been written on both models which represent a different version of who are ancestors are and how we as humans came to be what we are today. Though most believe we all came from Homo
Heilbergensis the agreement ends there. Did modern day humans evolve from Homo
Neandertalensis or are we different altogether?
The Replacement model can be defined as a theory proposed by Christopher Stringer and
Peter Andrews suggesting that the place of origin of modern humans is in Africa. This model is known by the names of Out of Africa model, recent single origin hypothesis or Noah’s ark model. Early human predecessors then spread to the various parts of the world, replacing the
Neanderthals and other hominids that eventually became extinct. Extinction occurred through several means including but not limited to extermination and out competing others for resources.
The theory also suggests that limited interbreeding occurred through the process. This theory also indicates that the anatomical differences of today’s modern humans are of recent developments (Replacement Model , 2010). “This suggests Homo erectus migrated out of
Africa by 1.8 million years ago and gave rise to Homo Neandertalensis which have been found in Europe and in the Middle East. The population that would arise as Homo sapiens remained in
Africa and is supported by fossil evidence from Herto, Ethiopia. The oldest modern human fossil remains from 160,000 years ago, are between the older archaic humans and the more recent fully modern humans. This is evidence of the emergence from Africa and evidence against the

MODERN HUMAN ORIGINS multiregional theory that states this evolution occurred all over the world at the same time
(Stringer, 2003).” When considering the actual found evidence from other sites, this shows
3 modern humans emerged in Africa long before the Neanderthals vanished from Europe. “The earliest modern Homo sapiens remains have been located in Africa and date back nearly 200,000 years ago. They don’t appear in Southwest Asia until around 100,000 years ago and Europe some 60,000 -40,000 years ago. More recent genetics research at the University of Chicago and
Yale University lends support showing that variations in the DNA and Y chromosomes and 12 chromosomes have had the great diversity among Africans today. Because of this it is believed it is the homeland for the modern human origins (O'Neil, N.D.).” Problems with this theory are the evidence and fossil records supporting gene flow and DNA evidence from genome testing of
Neanderthals mixed with modern day humans and the strong genetic similarities between them.
The Multiregional Model is a scientific model by Milford Wolpoff suggests that modern human beings originated in more than one site. Evolutionary development of all pre modern humans occurred around the same time period all over the globe. This model is also known as the Regional Continuity Model. The model reflects a slow evolution of the Homos Erectus all over the world and a series of migrations and constant gene flows between different geographical regions. Natural selection in regional populations since the original dispersal is responsible for variances (otherwise known as race). Interbreeding between archaic Homo sapiens and
Neanderthals is shown evident in the skeleton fossil remains of a four year old child found in
Portugal. “This skeleton is said to be 24,500 years old and product of Neanderthal and Homo sapiens species hybridization. This would indicate that Neanderthal’s are a form of Homo sapiens (Tattersal, 1999).” Problems with this model are mainly the large geographic region that would be covered during the time frame. Pre modern and modern day humans did not have the

MODERN HUMAN ORIGINS populations Homo sapiens have today nor did they have the resources to make travel of this magnitude a possibility. Believing that there was not gene flow and that three different populations did this all at the same time is also highly improbable.
”Some other considerations include Neanderthal fossils found in caves of Israel dating
4 back 55,000 years ago. This shows that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens overlapped and one did not evolve into Homo sapiens. Fossil records in Europe show the same with a 10,000 year overlap in species. Archeological evidence from France dating back 40,000 years shows
Neanderthals mimicking the culture of modern day humans suggesting they might have borrowed some technology but did not interbreed. China may contain the best evidence for supporting the Multiregional Model. Discoveries of skulls dating back 100,000 years ago that possess a mixture of Homo erectus and Homo sapiens traits. Better geological dating and more complete specimens are needed to more fully assess this possibility (Johanson, 2001).”
After researching this topic I feel like both are flawed. To me it makes the most logical sense to see a combination of the two theories. Believing Homo species started from Africa and migration occurred at the beginning and continued longer than some might have originally believed. If natural selection is correct, the Homo sapiens may have been the one with the most favorable trait. I agree that interbreeding between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens was occurring and survival and continuation of mating for the ones with the most favorable traits. I also agree in the possibility of extinction through competition for resources. Quite possibly by the point this occurred maybe only the ones with visible Neanderthal traits would be victims.
Then throughout continued breeding fewer and fewer visible Neanderthal traits would emerge.
Since science and genome testing has proven we have found Neanderthal DNA in the modern day human it makes it hard to believe there was not interbreeding. This helps explain the overlap

MODERN HUMAN ORIGINS of time frames where both fossils are found in the same regions or believed to be living in the
5 same areas. I doubt the entire world evolved and did not interbreed, I doubt the possibility of one migration. Homo species have been found all over the earth and I believe there were several migrations. For the amount of time that has passed and the evidence we have found or lack of evidence found makes it impossible to say exactly what happened.

MODERN HUMAN ORIGINS
References
Johanson, D. (2001). Origins or Modern Humans: Multiregional or Out of Africa? . Action
Bioscience .
O'Neil, D. (N.D.). Early Modern Homo Sapiens . Retrieved from Evolution of Modern Humans: http://anthro.palomar.edu/homo2/mod_homo_4.htm
Replacement Model . (2010). Retrieved from Biology Online: http://www.biologyonline.org/dictionary/African_replacement_model
Stringer, C. (2003, June 12). Human Evolution: Out of Ethiopia.
Retrieved from Nature
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International Weekly Journal of Science: http://www.nature.com/index.html?file=/nature/journal/v423/n6941/full/423692a_fs.html
Tattersal, S. (1999). Hominids and Hybrids: The place of Neanderthals in human evolution.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS , 7117-7119.

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