Ilse Medina

Two theories of Modern Human Origins

There are many theories that are put out into the universe on how it is the origin of
modern humans came to be. However, there are two that have been head to head in terms of
validity and reasonable theory that many people have been debating and also picking sides to see
which best fits with their ideology. These two theories consist of Regional Continuity, also
known as Multi Regional and then there is Replacement which is also known as the Out-ofAfrica Model.
Due to the growth in genetic capabilities, as well as companies that supply ancestral DNA
testingwhereas DNA testing was far more expensive than it is today, we have found that there
is a huge percentage of the DNA ancestry that traces back to the country of Africa in many
people living today. This could possibly be a reason as to why a lot of scientists have seemed to
lead more towards this theory as opposed to Regional Continuity because there is now this
evidence that helps support these scientists. But that doesnt mean that essentially this is the only
way modern humans came to be, of course not. Science can feel like it has a direct answer,
however, science is fluid and with genetic mutations, anything is truly possible.
Which leads us right into the fact that Regional Continuity is just as possible as
Replacement. Regional Continuity, without even having to research how it came to be, we can
off the bat know that there was some sort of migration that led to early ancestors that were of the
hominid family. This hypothesis in a sense explained that after Homo eructus left Africa, they
then dispersed into other portions of the Old World where due to their environment or some level
of gene flow between the separated populations, certain and limited specifications were not
likely after the dispersal. That doesnt say that all living humans dont derive from the species
Homo eructus that left Africa about two million years ago because that is a strong component
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that isnt forgotten. Though because of this initial dispersal, due to different regions and climates
and geographical aspects, and other variants, its said that these same points are the reason
behind what we know today as race. This emergence was not specifically related to just one
place but rather an entire geographical range where all humans lived.
Meanwhile, the Replacement, which is more known as Out of Africa Model theory
stated that modern humans evolved within their region of Africa and then migrated to other
places such as Euroasia and then managed to replace all of the populations that had descended
from Homo erectus. Things that are seen as important to this model are things such as: the
variants of the populations became isolated in terms of reproduction which forced them to evolve
independently and in some cases even as much as separate into their own species. Not only that
but Homo Sapiens arose in one particular place and this place is Africawhich ties into the
name of the theory, though geographically, this also includes the middle east. Homo sapiens
essentially migrated out of Africa and then replaced all other human populations but not by
interbreeding. (Edwards, 2012)
We cant have these two theories become what they are today without some sort of
evidence to prove each point so of course, given time travel isnt a thing and English wasnt even
a language two million years ago, all that we can rely on to back up the information given are the
fossils and the anatomical structure that these ancestral hominids left behind.
Its said that sometime prior to one million years ago, the very early hominids, whom
were sometimes referred to as homo ergaster, left Africa and dispersed into other parts of the Old
Word. Being in new scenery with a completely different geographical area, the assumption is that
they became diversified through genetic drift and natural selection where the strongest would
essentially survive and reproduce their own offspring and so the cycle would continue. In Asia,
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these hominids evolved into what was classified as Peking Man and Java Man, also known as
Homo eructus while in Europe and western Asia they evolved into Neanderthals.
The Neanderthals lived in Europe during a long, cool time period during which glaciers
and even ice sheets were present, known as glaciations. Scientist believe that because of this
particular fact, it led to their large, long, low cranial vault with their well-developed doublearched brow ridge, and while they were short in stature, they were robust skeleton-wise with
thick-walled bones. Their mandible also lacked a chin and they had a large gap behind their last
molar, as well as an oddly shaped occipital region of the skull with a bulge. Their facial skeleton
was large with a projecting mid-face, backward sloping cheeks, and large nasal aperture, with
large nasal sinuses. With time, they were so anatomically different that they eventually were
classified as a completely different species: Homo neanderthalensis. And this is a prime example
of how geographic isolation leads to a specification event.
Then, going on about the same time in the country of Africa, there was a body found that
looked significantly similar to our own anatomically but not behaviorally given these particular
homo sapiens were seen with a reduced facial skeleton lacking a projecting mid-face, a lower
jaw sporting chin, more modern and less robust skeleton, as well as a rounded occipital and
reduced brow ridge. So going off of these two species, this easily showcased how isolated from
one another these two were and how they had evolved separately giving them their own distinct
specie name. (O'Niel, 2013)
In terms of genetic evidence, it seems to support the method the Out of Africa Model as
thats one of the things that remains consistent throughout constant testing. The high degree of
similarity between humans and chimpanzees, the work of Cann and Wilson (Cann, 1987) showed
that the highest level of genetic variation happened to occur in African populations which
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showcased that Homo sapiens did in fact come first in Africa and then had a long time period to
gain genetic diversity. All this and using the genetic distance between populations in Africa and
then of others suggested that Homo sapiens came about 100,000 to 400,000 years ago in Africa.
Theres also a low amount of variation within the genetics in our modern human
population that in a sense gives us an idea that where we come from might reflect on the concept
of a very small population of Homo sapiens is what got us here. Research that Rogers and
Harpending did helps support this fact that a small population of Homo sapiens of around 10,000
to 50,000 people dispersed from Africa around 50,000 to 100,000 years ago. (Rogers, 1992)
I personally feel that after looking at the two methods, because facts in themselves mean
so much more than just words, Id have to side with the Out-Of-Africa method. However, I really
am interested in how much more information we are able to find on the Regional Continuity and
if there could possibly be a shift in which even scientists begin to switch sides. Either way,
evolution in itself is incredible to say the least. The simple thought of thinking how we came to
be isnt really that simple enough. Theres complexities to it all but I think thats what makes the
research and discoveries that much worthwhile.

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Works Cited
Cann, R. M. (1987). Mitochondrial DNA and human evolution. Nature.
Edwards, S. (2012, July 07). Analysis of Two Competing Theories on the Origin of Homo
sapiens: Multiregional Theory vs. the Out of Africa Model". Retrieved from
AnthroJournal: http://anthrojournal.com/issue/october-2011/article/analysis-of-twocompeting-theories-on-the-origin-of-homo-sapiens-sapiens-multiregional-theory-vs-theout-of-africa-2-model
O'Neil, D. "Evolution of Modern Humans: Early Modern Homo Sapiens." Evolution of Modern
Humans: Early Modern Homo Sapiens. 20 Nov. 2013. Web. 28 July. 2016.
Owen, J. (2007). Modern Humans Came Out of Africa, "Definitive" Study Says. National
Geographic.
Rogers, H. (1992). Population growth makes waves in the distribution of pairwise genetic
differences. Molecular Biology Evolution, 552-569.
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