Ronnell Fuller Page 1
Dr. Ligon
English 102
November 20, 2017
African Origins Of Homo Sapiens Vs Multiregionalists
For the past few decades, hypotheses based on sacred excavations and paleontology have
to lead to the thought and wonders of how the modern human came to form. Questions such as
how he lived, his intellectual ability, what he used to hunt with, and most importantly where he
came from have all revolved scientists minds. Currently, there are two standing two schools of
thought; that being the “Multiregionalism” and “Out of Africa”. Those who believe in the
multiregionalist theory suggests that before the modern human came to form, the pre-existing
form, “homo erectus” did not appear in Africa but emigrated through all three regions of the
world separately. However, this claim takes away the belief that the human race was not birthed
from Africans but instead has European ancestry and it’s existing evidence to prove otherwise.
Through the lens of a more intelligent view of this ongoing debate, it is obvious that the
creationist myths are is no longer sufficient to explain the origins of humanity. By studying the
theory of evolution here is existing evidence to prove that the multiregionalists theory is
inaccurate and simply a false theory as to where the first/modern human originated. Scientific
evidence proves that that not only did homo erectus first derive from Africa but also so did the
first homo sapiens.
According to the article “Origins of Modern Humans: Multiregional or Out of Africa?”
Johanson, Donald focuses on the origins of modern humans is one of the most hotly debated
issues in paleoanthropology. He states that about 100,000 years ago, the World was occupied by
a diverse group of hominids. In the Middle East and Africa, there were Homo sapiens. In Asia,
Homo erectus; and in Europe Homo neanderthalensis. However, by 30,000 years ago this
diversity vanished and humans everywhere had evolved into the anatomically and behaviorally
modern form. The nature of this transformation is the focus of great deliberation between two
intellectual groups: one that stresses multiregional continuity and the other that suggests a single
origin for modern humans.
Scientist began to study the DNA record of human and animal genes. Because DNA is
inherited, differences and similarities in the proteins and DNA of animals(including humans)
living today suggest the date up to which they might have shared common ancestors before
separating into different streams of evolution. Extending the method further, researchers have
analyzed the mitochondrial DNA of thousands of women living today, and conclude that Homo
sapiens sapiens emerged solely from Africa around 120,000 years ago and that all of us today are
descendants of a single woman living in Africa about 200,000 years ago.
While both groups of scholars are contingent on the variety of racial development
between the six hominids groups: homo sapiens, h...
