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Origins of modern human ancestry

Author

Listed:
  • Anders Bergström

    (Francis Crick Institute)

  • Chris Stringer

    (Natural History Museum)

  • Mateja Hajdinjak

    (Francis Crick Institute)

  • Eleanor M. L. Scerri

    (Max Planck Institute for Science of Human History
    University of Malta
    University of Cologne)

  • Pontus Skoglund

    (Francis Crick Institute)

Abstract

New finds in the palaeoanthropological and genomic records have changed our view of the origins of modern human ancestry. Here we review our current understanding of how the ancestry of modern humans around the globe can be traced into the deep past, and which ancestors it passes through during our journey back in time. We identify three key phases that are surrounded by major questions, and which will be at the frontiers of future research. The most recent phase comprises the worldwide expansion of modern humans between 40 and 60 thousand years ago (ka) and their last known contacts with archaic groups such as Neanderthals and Denisovans. The second phase is associated with a broadly construed African origin of modern human diversity between 60 and 300 ka. The oldest phase comprises the complex separation of modern human ancestors from archaic human groups from 0.3 to 1 million years ago. We argue that no specific point in time can currently be identified at which modern human ancestry was confined to a limited birthplace, and that patterns of the first appearance of anatomical or behavioural traits that are used to define Homo sapiens are consistent with a range of evolutionary histories.

Suggested Citation

  • Anders Bergström & Chris Stringer & Mateja Hajdinjak & Eleanor M. L. Scerri & Pontus Skoglund, 2021. "Origins of modern human ancestry," Nature, Nature, vol. 590(7845), pages 229-237, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:590:y:2021:i:7845:d:10.1038_s41586-021-03244-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03244-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Sarah E. Freidline & Kira E. Westaway & Renaud Joannes-Boyau & Philippe Duringer & Jean-Luc Ponche & Mike W. Morley & Vito C. Hernandez & Meghan S. McAllister-Hayward & Hugh McColl & Clément Zanolli &, 2023. "Early presence of Homo sapiens in Southeast Asia by 86–68 kyr at Tam Pà Ling, Northern Laos," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, December.
    2. Juraj Bergman & Rasmus Ø. Pedersen & Erick J. Lundgren & Rhys T. Lemoine & Sophie Monsarrat & Elena A. Pearce & Mikkel H. Schierup & Jens-Christian Svenning, 2023. "Worldwide Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene population declines in extant megafauna are associated with Homo sapiens expansion rather than climate change," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Stephen R. Doyle & Martin Jensen Søe & Peter Nejsum & Martha Betson & Philip J. Cooper & Lifei Peng & Xing-Quan Zhu & Ana Sanchez & Gabriela Matamoros & Gustavo Adolfo Fontecha Sandoval & Cristina Cut, 2022. "Population genomics of ancient and modern Trichuris trichiura," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Casey B. Mulligan, 2021. "Peltzman Revisited: Quantifying 21st Century Opportunity Costs of FDA Regulation," NBER Working Papers 29574, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Vipin K Sharma, 2023. "Memory, Media, and Modernity in Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie: A Twenty-first Century Perspective," Studies in Media and Communication, Redfame publishing, vol. 11(6), pages 181-187, September.
    6. Leonardo Vallini & Carlo Zampieri & Mohamed Javad Shoaee & Eugenio Bortolini & Giulia Marciani & Serena Aneli & Telmo Pievani & Stefano Benazzi & Alberto Barausse & Massimo Mezzavilla & Michael D. Pet, 2024. "The Persian plateau served as hub for Homo sapiens after the main out of Africa dispersal," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.

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