is it true the first human came from africa?

Question

I have heard that rthe first human came from africa and we all decended from there. I was wondering if anyone could fill me in on how they reached that conclusion. In other words, the facts.

Answer 1

they traced the genetic markers from ethnic backgrounds all over the world. they found that the original gene came from africa's bush people, rather their genes were un-marked. unlike other peoples, that developed genetic marker that makes them better suited to their environment.

saw it on PBS, really interesting. But that doesn't mean that we are all blacks/negroes by blood. I saw on another PBS show that the original skin color was brown.

Answer 2

From a scientific point of view, that is the most accepted theory today, since there is so much evidence supporting it. Evolution happens constantly, but it takes a lot of time. If you look at a map of the world, you can see that the different continents kinda fit together like a puzzle. Once, all the continents were connected, and then there were ice ages, connecting lands, allowing man to travel, and spread out though the world. And due to differences in temperature, habitat, light etc. we all look different today. People who have dark skin got so because it was environmentally favorable at that particular place. In other words, extremely sunny. It protects better from the sun than if you have white skin. That's why Caucasians gets a tan when summer comes, better protection against the sun. Caucasians on the other hand have lived in places where white skin was environmentally favorable, places where there was little sun. However, the sun was the best place to get D vitamins, and white skin produces D vitamins more efficiently than darker skin. If you look at tribes who lived in cold places, you'll see that they have short limbs and stature. This enables them to maintain heat easier than if you are tall and have long limbs. You see this in the animal kingdom as well. Like the kangaroo versus the arctic fox. So we all look different because we have evolved and adapted to our environment, but millions of years back, people will have black ancestors:)

Answer 3

Based on the fossil evidence and the recent DNA tracings, all of mankind can be traced to a small group of homosapiens (2,000) from Africa....

Scientists have now identified the human lineages of the world descended from 10 sons of a genetic Adam and 18 daughters of Eve. This ancestral human population lived in Africa and started to split up 144,000 years ago. This time period is when both the mitochondrial and Y chromosome trees first branch out.

From that small group, you can assume homo sapiens started in Africa. That's not to say the human population was 2,000, but at the time of the split, that 2,000 was our ancestors. Other lines most likely died out.

Answer 4

The olded fossil records of human-like creatures are found in Ethiopia. Fossils of hominids (creatures like us that walk upright on 2 legs) are found all over the world, but the older fossils are found closer to Africa. America has nothing older than around 30,000 years. Autralia about 50,000 I think.

It is a logical conclusion then that by following the trail of older fossils we can conclude where the origin of man was.

Answer 5

Absolutley. The oldest skeletons of humans we can find, by a LONG way, are from the area which is now Ehtiopia and Kenya, Africa. All scientific evidence points that human beings started in Africa and moved around the world from there. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_man for full details and references.

Answer 6

Yes, that's the best possibility. Although, there's another theory that suggest homo sapiens evolved separately in different parts of the world (Australia, Africa, the Americas and Europe). Changes that all of those species coming to existence in different places at the same time, and being the same species to where they can reproduce with each other is very, very, very slim.

Answer 7

The only basis we have to support this theory is the oldest skeletons found in Africa, but this does not prove it so, we could be aliens from another planet for all we know. I don't think we will ever know for sure.

Answer 8

Yup. From Olduvai Gorge, it's thought. They reached that conclusion from the fossil record and archaeological evidence found.

Answer 9

i`ve read all your answers, but isn`t the skeleton of the " peking man " supposedly older then the ones found in Africa ? again, im not so sure... i just thought i read it somewhere...

Answer 10

The oldest skeleton was found in Africa, Man started in Africa, like it or not !