Migration out of Africa

The recent African origin of modern humans, also called the "Out of Africa" theory (OOA), recent single-origin hypothesis (RSOH), replacement hypothesis, or recent African origin model (RAO), is, in paleoanthropology, the dominant model of the geographic origin and early migration of anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens). The model proposes a single area of origin for modern humans. The single-origin hypothesis is cited as having scientific consensus as of the mid-2000s.

According to this model, modern humans evolved in East Africa between 400,000 and 200,000 years ago, and then began to disperse throughout the world roughly 70,000 to 135,000 years ago. As of 2017^[update], it appears likely that there were two waves of migration out of Africa.

The first wave took place between 130,000–115,000 years ago via northern Africa, and appears to have mostly died out or retreated, although there is some evidence of a presence of modern humans in China about 80,000 years ago. A December 2017 study reported that Homo sapiens may have migrated out of Africa into Asia as early as 120,000 years ago. In the 2010s, genomic testing of living populations has located archaic admixture of modern humans outside of Africa with Neanderthals and Denisovans.

A second dispersal took place after the Toba supereruption (c.77,000 years ago) via the so-called Southern Route, following the southern coastline of Asia, which led to the lasting colonization of Australia by around 65,000-50,000 years ago while Europe was populated by an early offshoot which settled the Near East and Europe less than 55,000 years ago.

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