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When Did Modern Humans Leave Africa?
Article

When Did Modern Humans Leave Africa?

A ~180,000-year-old fossil from Israel provides evidence for early forays of Homo sapiens into western Asia.

Science, 2018


Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Scientific
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

Based on the age and location of fossils and artifacts, researchers can build a picture of how early Homo sapiens migrated and evolved. The H. sapiens fossil recently found at Misliya Cave in Israel is the oldest specimen outside Africa. Researchers Chris Stringer and Julia Galway-Witham of the Natural History Museum in London offer a primer on this discovery. They put the Misliya fossil in context with other H. sapiens specimens and describe how it reshapes people’s knowledge of early human migration. This article will fascinate anyone curious about human evolution.

Take-Aways

  • Fossils with distinct features of Homo sapiens have been found spread out in Africa and in parts of Israel.
  • The oldest H. sapiens fossil found outside Africa was at Misliya Cave in Israel.
  • The technology of tools found at Misliya Cave may have coincided with the spread of H. sapiens through Africa and western Asia.

About the Authors

Chris Stringer is Merit Researcher at the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London and Fellow of the Royal Society. Julia Galway-Witham is a Research Assistant at the NHM.


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