Varves in a drill core from Lake Van, Turkey.These are lighter and darker layers in lake sediments that are transferred throughout a year. Credit: Thomas Litt/University of Bonn
” This concept has changed fundamentally given that it ended up being clear that Neanderthals contributed at least a little part to the genome of Homo sapiens,” states paleobotanist Prof. Dr. Thomas Litt of the University of Bonn, principal editor of the book and deputy spokesman for the Collaborative Research. The scientists focused on different time durations: from the development of contemporary humans, their dispersal, the repopulation of Ice Age Europe, Neolithic settlement, and the migration of settled societies.
The new findings reveal that not just a migration wave, however a number of African Homo sapiens populations followed a journey of up to 5,000 kilometers to Europe and Asia. Enhanced radiometric dating of Homo sapiens fossils further suggests that the area of origin of modern humans consists of not just East Africa, but also South and Northwest Africa.
No scientific proof for the western route
Till now, science presumed that there were 2 possible primary paths modern-day male could have required to Europe: The western by means of the Strait of Gibraltar and the eastern by means of the Levant. Despite the short width the Strait of Gibraltar, in the previous twelve years scientists were unable to find any evidence of direct cultural contact between Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula or evidence of crossing the strait during the Paleolithic. “This is one of the big concern marks in the history of human settlement in the western Mediterranean,” Litt states of this surprising finding. Obviously, the Strait of Gibraltar had actually been more of a barrier at the time due to strong ocean currents.
” This leaves the Levant, the only irreversible land bridge in between Africa and Eurasia, as the essential area as a migration path for contemporary human beings,” says Litt. Litt: “These information illustrate that the Levant might only have served as a corridor when, under more favorable conditions, for example, neither deserts nor dense forests hindered the advance.”
Almost one hundred scientists were included
For a total of twelve years, the interdisciplinary research study group from archeology, geosciences, soil science, ethnology and location in the Collaborative Research Center 806 “Our Way to Europe” understood the migrations of Homo sapiens. Around one hundred scientists were included and many numerous clinical documents were published. In addition to the Universities of Cologne and Bonn, RWTH Aachen University and numerous cooperation partners from the USA, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe were likewise included. The primary results are now summarized in the 372-page book jointly modified by the paleobotanist Prof. Dr. Thomas Litt (Bonn), the prehistorian Prof. Dr. Jürgen Richter and the geography didactician Prof. Dr. Frank Schäbitz (both University of Cologne). “The book needs to be relevant and appealing to all readers thinking about understanding the prehistory of our own species, its migratory paths, and inspirations for migration set off by complicated interactions of its culture and environment,” states Litt.
Publication: Thomas Litt, Jürgen Richter, Frank Schäbitz (eds.): The Journey of Modern Humans from Africa to Europe– Culture-Environmental Interaction and Mobility, Schweizerbart Science Publishers, 372p., EUR 39.90.
Floating platform from which the scientists from the University of Bonn took drill cores from the lake sediment on Lake Iznik (Turkey) and figured out the pollen in them. Credit: Thomas Litt/University of Bonn By which routes did modern guy get here in Europe? A book reports on the newest findings.
What paths did Homo sapiens take on his way from Africa to Europe and Asia in the previous millennia? Over the past twelve years, a team of scientists within the structure of the Collaborative Research Center 806 “Our Way to Europe” deciphered the intricate interaction of cultural innovations and environment that formed migrations.
The cradle of male remains in Africa– this has been understood for half a century. A years back, academic discussion was still controlled by the idea that a small group of Homo sapiens moved from Africa to Europe about 70,000 years back. Through intellectual and anatomical superiority, this group is said to have displaced archaic regional populations as it advanced, leaving Homo sapiens as the only genetic branch of humankind to endure.
Credit: Thomas Litt/University of Bonn By which routes did modern-day male show up in Europe? What paths did Homo sapiens take on his way from Africa to Europe and Asia in the previous centuries? Over the previous twelve years, a group of researchers within the structure of the Collaborative Research Center 806 “Our Way to Europe” deciphered the intricate interaction of cultural developments and environment that shaped migrations. The scientists focused on various time durations: from the development of modern people, their dispersal, the repopulation of Ice Age Europe, Neolithic settlement, and the migration of settled societies.
In addition to the Universities of Cologne and Bonn, RWTH Aachen University and numerous cooperation partners from the USA, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe were likewise included.