Ancient Differences in Population Size Can Mimic a Recent African Origin of Modern Humans

1995 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 667-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Relethford ◽  
Henry C. Harpending
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
African Origin ◽  
Modern Humans ◽  
Origin Of Modern Humans

scholarly journals A Middle Palaeolithic burial of a modern human at Taramsa Hill, Egypt

Antiquity ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (277) ◽  
pp. 475-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Vermeersch ◽  
E. Paulissen ◽  
P. Van Peer ◽  
S. Stokes ◽  
C. Charlier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
East Africa ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Nile Valley ◽  
Middle Palaeolithic ◽  
African Origin ◽  
Modern Humans ◽  
Origin Of Modern Humans ◽  
Clear Relation ◽  
Aeolian Sands

Discussion about a possible African origin of modern humans is hampered by the lack of Late Pleistocene skeletal material from the Nile valley, the likely passage-way from East Africa to Asia and Europe. Here we report the discovery of a burial of an anatomically modern child from southern Egypt. Its clear relation with Middle Palaeolithic chert extraction activities and a series of OSL dates, from correlative aeolian sands, suggests an age between 49,800 and 80,400 years ago, with a mean age of 55,000.

scholarly journals Modern human origins: progress and prospects

2002 ◽  
Vol 357 (1420) ◽  
pp. 563-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Stringer
Keyword(s):  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Genetic Data ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Human Origins ◽  
African Origin ◽  
Modern Humans ◽  
Modern Human Origins ◽  
Fossil Evidence ◽  
Behavioural Characteristics ◽  
Origin Of Modern Humans

The question of the mode of origin of modern humans ( Homo sapiens ) has dominated palaeoanthropological debate over the last decade. This review discusses the main models proposed to explain modern human origins, and examines relevant fossil evidence from Eurasia, Africa and Australasia. Archaeological and genetic data are also discussed, as well as problems with the concept of ‘modernity’ itself. It is concluded that a recent African origin can be supported for H. sapiens , morphologically, behaviourally and genetically, but that more evidence will be needed, both from Africa and elsewhere, before an absolute African origin for our species and its behavioural characteristics can be established and explained.

Mode 3 Technologies and the Evolution of Modern Humans

1997 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Foley ◽  
Marta Mirazón Lahr
Keyword(s):  
Strong Association ◽  
Middle Stone Age ◽  
Stone Tool ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
African Origin ◽  
Biological Models ◽  
Modern Humans ◽  
Archaeological Interpretation ◽  
Mode 3 ◽  
Tool Technology

The origins and evolution of modern humans has been the dominant interest in palaeoanthropology for the last decade, and much archaeological interpretation has been structured around the various issues associated with whether humans have a recent African origin or a more ancient one. While the archaeological record has been used to support or refute various aspects of the theories, and to provide a behavioural framework for different biological models, there has been little attempt to employ the evidence of stone tool technology to unravel phylogenetic relationships. Here we examine the evidence that the evolution of modern humans is integrally related to the development of the Upper Palaeolithic and similar technologies, and conclude that there is only a weak relationship. In contrast there is a strong association between the evolution and spread of modern humans and Grahame Clark's Mode 3 technologies (the Middle Stone Age/Palaeolithic). The implications of this for the evolution of Neanderthals, the multiple pattern of human dispersals, and the nature of cognitive evolution, are considered.

Energetics and the Origin of Modern Humans

2013 ◽  
pp. 285-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew W. Froehle ◽  
Todd R. Yokley ◽  
Steven E. Churchill
Keyword(s):  
Modern Humans ◽  
Origin Of Modern Humans
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