Title: The Origin and Dispersal of Modern Humans
1Chapter 14
- The Origin and Dispersal of Modern Humans
2Chapter Outline
- Approaches to Understanding Modern Human Origins
- The Earliest Discoveries of Modern Humans
- Something New and Different
- Technology and Art in the Upper Paleolithic
- Summary of Upper Paleolithic Culture
3Homo sapiens
- Sometime, probably close to 200,000 years ago,
the first modern Homo sapiens evolved in Africa. - Within 150,000 years or so, their descendants had
spread across most of the Old World, even
expanding as far as Australia. - All contemporary populationsmore than 6 billion
living humansare placed within this species
(and the same subspecies as well).
4Questions About the Origin and Dispersal of
Modern Humans
- When did modern humans first appear?
- Where did the transition take place?
- In one region or several?
- What was the pace of evolutionary change?
- How fast did the transition occur?
- How did the dispersal of modern humans to other
areas of the Old World take place?
5Theories of Human Origins
- Complete Replacement Model
- Regional Continuity Model
- Partial Replacement Model
6Complete Replacement Model (Recent African
Evolution)
- Developed by British paleoanthropologists
Christopher Stringer and Peter Andrews. - Proposes anatomically modern populations arose in
Africa in the last 200,000 years. - They migrated from Africa, completely replacing
populations in Europe and Asia. - Does not account for the transition from archaic
H. sapiens to modern H. sapiens anywhere except
Africa.
7Modern Humans From Africa and the Near East
8Partial Replacement Model
- Proposed by Günter Bräuer of the University of
Hamburg. - Postulates the earliest dates for African modern
Homo sapiens at over 100,000 y.a.
9Partial Replacement Model
- Initial dispersal of H. sapiens sapiens from
South Africa was influenced by environmental
conditions. - Moving into Eurasia, modern humans hybridized
with resident groups, eventually replacing them. - The disappearance of archaic humans was due to
hybridization and replacement.
10Regional Continuity Model(Multiregional
Evolution)
- Associated with paleoanthropologist Milford
Wolpoff of the University of Michigan. - Populations in Europe, Asia, and Africa continued
evolutionary development from archaic H. sapiens
to anatomically modern humans.
11The Regional Continuity Model(Multiregional
Evolution)
- Question How did modern humans evolve in
different continents and end up so physically and
genetically similar? - Explanation
- Due to gene flow between archaic populations,
modern humans are not a separate species. - Earlier modern H. sapiens did not originate
exclusively in Africa.
12Question
- Which of the following is not one of the
hypotheses explaining the origins and dispersal
of anatomically modern humans? - the partial replacement model
- the regional continuity model
- the regional replacement model
- the complete replacement model
13Answer c
- The regional replacement model is not one of the
hypotheses explaining the origins and dispersal
of anatomically modern humans.
14Question
- Which hypotheses 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, they were a separate species. - the partial replacement model
- the regional continuity model
- the regional replacement model
- the complete replacement model
15Answer c
- 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, they were a separate species.
16Question
- The model also known as "Recent African
Evolution" is based on the origin of modern
humans - in Africa and their interbreeding with local
African populations. - in Africa and their replacement of local
populations in Europe and Asia. - in China and their relatively recent evolution in
Africa. - simultaneously in Africa and China.
17Answer 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.
18Early Homo sapiens Discoveries From Africa and
the Near East
Site Dates (y.a.) Human Remains Comments
Qafzeh(Israel) 110,000 20 individuals (minimum) Large sample variability in expression of modern traits
Skhu-l (Israel) 115,000 10 individuals (minimum) Earliest evidence of modern H. sapiens outside of Africa
19Early Homo sapiens Discoveries From Africa and
the Near East
Site Dates (y.a.) Human Remains Comments
Omo-Kibish (Ethiopia) 120,00080,000? Cranium and postcranial remains Second individual shows fewer modern traits
Klasies River Mouth (South Africa) 120,000? Several individuals fragmentary Perhaps earliest modern H. sapiens in Africa
20Omo I
- Reconstructed skull of Omo I, an early modern
human from Ethiopia, dated to 195 kya. - Note the clear presence of a chin.
21Herto Cranium From Ethiopia
- Herto cranium from Ethiopia, dated
160,000154,000 ya. - This is the best- preserved early modern H.
sapiens cranium yet found.
22Mt. Carmel
- Mt. Carmel, studded with caves, was home to H.
sapiens sapiens at Skhul (and to Neandertals at
Tabun and Kebara).
23Specimens from Israel
- (a) Skhul 5. (b) Qafzeh 6.
- These specimens from Israel are thought to be
representatives of early modern Homo sapiens. - The vault height, forehead, and lack of
prognathism are modern traits.
24Early Modern Homo sapiens Discoveries - Europe,
Asia, Australia
Site Dates (y.a.) Human Remains Comments
Abrigo do Lagar 24,500 4 y.o. childs skeleton Shows mixture of traits
Velho (Portugal) Interpreted as evidence of hybridization
Cro-Magnon (France) 30,000 8 individuals Famous site of early modern H. sapiens variability in expression of modern traits
25Early Modern Homo sapiens Discoveries - Europe,
Asia, Australia
Site Dates (y.a.) Human Remains Comments
Ordos (Mongolia, China) 50,000 1 individual Perhaps earliest evidence of H. sapiens in Asia
Kow Swamp (Australia) 14,000-9,000 More than 40 individuals(all ages) Very robust individuals
Lake Mungo (Australia) 60,000- 30,000 3 individuals, one cremation Date is controversial recent extraction and analysis of DNA
26Anatomically Modern Homosapiens (Asia and
Australia).
27Anatomically Modern Humans in Europe
28Early Modern Homo Sapiens in Central Europe
- The Mlade c (a) and Dolnà V estonice (b) crania,
from the Czech Republic, are good examples of
early modern Homo sapiens in central Europe.
29Cro-Magnon I
- Cro-Magnon I (France).
- In this specimen, modern traits are quite clear.
(a) Lateral view. (b) Frontal view.
30Timeline for Modern Homo Sapiens Discoveries
31Techniques for Dating Middle and Upper
Pleistocene Sites
Technique Physical Basis Examples of Use
Uranium series Radioactive decay of short-lived uranium isotopes Date limestone formations estimate age of Jinniushan site in China and Ngandong site in Java
Thermoluminescence (TL) Accumulation of electrons in certain crystals released during heating Date ancient flint tools provide key dates for the Qafzeh site
32Techniques for Dating Middle and Upper
Pleistocene Sites
Technique Physical Basis Examples of Use
Electron spin resonance (ESR) Measurement of trapped electrons Date dental enamel corroborate dating various sites in Israel, Java, South Africa, and Australia
33Flores Hominids
- Cranium of adult female Homo floresiensis from
Flores, Indonesia, dated 18,000 ya.
34Location of the Flores Site in Indonesia
35The New World
- Ancestors of Native Americans reached the New
World through migration over the Bering Land
Bridge over many millennia. - Debates continue, but at present, the only direct
evidence of hominids in the New World date to
about 12,000 y.a.
36Anatomically modern Homo sapiens and Homo
floresiensis
37The Upper Paleolithic
- Cultural period began in western Europe
approximately 40,000 years ago. - Industries based on tool technologies
- Chatelperronian
- Aurignacian
- Gravettian
- Solutrean
- Magdalenian
38Upper Paleolithic Tools
- (a) Burin. A very common Upper Paleolithic tool.
- (b) Solutrean blade. This is the best-known work
of the Solutrean tradition. - Solutrean stonework is considered the most highly
developed of any Upper Paleolithic industry.
39Cultural Periods of the European Upper Paleolithic
Upper Paleolithic (beginnings) Cultural Periods
17,000 21,000 27,000 40,000 Magdalenian SolutreanGravettian Aurignacian Chatelperronian
Middle Paleolithic Mousterian
40Upper Paleolithic Grave
- Skeleton of two teenagers, a male and a female,
from Sungir, Russia. - Dated 24,000 ya, this is the richest find of any
Upper Paleolithic grave.
41The Punch Blade Technique
- (a) A large core is selected and the top portion
is removed by use of a hammerstone.
42The Punch Blade Technique
- (b) The objective is to create a flat surface
called a striking platform.
43The Punch Blade Technique
- (c) Next, the core is struck by use of a hammer
and punch (made of bone or antler) to remove the
long narrow flakes (called blades).
44The Punch Blade Technique
- (d) Or the blades can be removed by pressure
flaking.
45The Punch Blade Technique
- (e) The result is the production of highly
consistent sharp blades, which can be used, as
is, as knives or they can be further modified
(retouched) to make a variety of other tools
(such as burins, scrapers, and awls).
46Magdalenian Bone Artifact
- Note the realistic animal engraving on this
object, the precise function of which is unknown.
47Artifacts from the Middle Stone Age of Africa and
the Upper Paleolithic in Europe