Recent African origin of modern humans
As out- of-Africa theory ( also: Out- of-Africa hypothesis) is referred to in paleoanthropology the assumption that the genus Homo originated in Africa and that their relatives spread from there throughout the world.
In the original sense, the out- of-Africa theory of the emergence and spread of Homo erectus, whose oldest fossils outside Africa relates about 1.8 million years old (also: "Out - of-Africa I"). The term is frequently applied to the spread of Homo sapiens (also called " out- of-Africa II" or Recent African Origin ); Evidence of this are, for example, the fossils Omo 1 and Omo 2 and the Herto skull from Ethiopia, who are among the oldest dated as sure evidence of Homo sapiens.
If, as now accepts a part of researchers in Europe classified as Homo heidelbergensis individuals more than 600,000 years ago already in Africa of Homo erectus and thus separated from the evolutionary lineage leading to Homo sapiens and - coming from Africa - have Europe settled, them would be "out- of-Africa II" and attributed the subsequent spread of Homo sapiens "Out - of-Africa III ".
The out-of -Africa theory is supported by numerous fossil finds and - also supported by genetic (see the two graphics ) and linguistic findings - with respect to homo sapiens. She is now represented by the majority of researchers theory about the origin of man and forms since the 1980s, the antithesis to the outdated, disproved by genetic analysis of multiregional hypothesis of modern human origins. This hypothesis was based on the assumption Homo sapiens had in Africa, Europe, Australia and Asia - evolved from a common ancestor of the genus Homo - separated.
The discovery of the 1.85 million years old fossils from Dmanisi and the Flores fossils and preliminary derivation of Homo erectus has triggered a debate among experts over whether Australopithecus -like populations of Africa already left, continues developed outside of Africa Homo erectus and this then Africa populated again.
The term Out of Africa emerged in the mid -1980s based on the 1985 filmed novel by Karen Blixen Out of Africa (Original Title: Out of Africa ).
The contributions of Africa to the cultural and historical development of mankind will be discussed under the heading of Black Athena.