Today, modern humans have permanent settlements on all continents except for Antarctica; however, this was not always the case. Following the emergence of our species, Homo sapiens emerged in Africa as early as 300,000 years ago , some ultimately embarked on journeys, traveling and exploring around the globe.
When did the first modern humans arrive at each of the seven continents for the first time?
Out of Africa
The currently accepted notions regarding human evolution are the "Out of Africa" theories, suggesting that H. sapiens developed in Africa and then moved to the other continents, often replacing or interbreeding with other species in those regions. Homo species — referred to as hominins — when this occurred.
Certain scientists previously explored the "multiregional" theory, also referred to as the "candelabra" hypothesis, suggesting that H. sapiens Additionally, this evolution also took place in various regions such as Europe and Asia. However, the multiregional hypothesis has been dismissed according to paleoanthropologists. Michael Petraglia , who leads the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution at Griffith University located in Brisbane.
He informed Live Science that there is no backing for the multiregional or candelabra theory of human evolution. All evidence indicates the emergence and migration. Homo sapiens out of Africa."
According to recent studies, H. sapiens developed from previous hominin species in Africa roughly 300,000 years ago, with our kind initially spreading out from there around 200,000 years ago , which was approximately 100,000 years later after it had developed, according to Petraglia. .
Related: At what point in time did Homo sapiens first emerge?
Into Asia
Our ancestors initially expanded from Africa into the eastern Mediterranean area, likely via the Sinai region encompassing parts of Egypt, Jordan, and Israel. Despite being arid today, researchers believe that the Sinai was more lush and verdant during the time when anatomically modern humans first migrated there.
A different theory proposes that early modern humans departed from Africa through a land bridge situated at the southern tip of the Red Sea, crossing over at the Bab al-Mandab (meaning "Gate of Sorrow" in Arabic), and then moved into the Arabian Peninsula, an area believed to have been much more verdant hundreds of millennia ago. This idea was further explored in a study. published in 2006 However, they confirmed that no such land bridge existed. The researchers observed that the Bab el Mandeb has consistently been just a few miles wide, making it plausible that people could have drifted or rowed across.
From the eastern Mediterranean, H. sapiens rapidly expanded eastward into Asia. According to Petraglia’s emailed statement to Live Science, several migrations of early humans might have settled along the adjacent Asian coastlines. by over 100,000 years ago, Then proceeded to explore its inner areas. 54,000 years ago and 44,000 years ago , some H. sapiens bred with Denisovans Another ancient human species, the Denisovans, contributed genetic variations that can now be found in the genomes of numerous people across Asia.
Into Europe
The earliest evidence of H. sapiens In Europe, evidence comes from Apidima Cave in southern Greece and is dated to approximately 210,000 years ago. Martin Richards , an evolutionary geneticist at the University of Huddersfield in the UK, told Live Science. However, if this dating proves correct, it might originate from a quite an initial surge of migrants H. sapiens that became extinct or moved away during glaciation , he stated via email.
Scientists typically agree that our species arrived in Europe permanently between Between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago And during this period, they interbred with and supplanted the existing population of their close relatives, the Neanderthals. Neanderthals .
Into Oceania
Mitochondrial DNA analysis has suggested that H. sapiens reached Southeast Asia approximately 60,000 years ago Richards explained. Subsequently, they expanded into the ancient Sunda and Sahul areas, which later formed what we now know as Southeast Asia and Australia, regions that were largely connected land during that period.
Archaeological evidence suggests that contemporary humans inhabited the area around New Guinea as far back as 50,000 years ago. Researchers currently believe these populations expanded across the Pacific Islands through successive migratory waves that also encompassed this region. Lapita expansion approximately 3,000 years ago and the Polynesian expansion roughly 1,500 years from now.
Into North America
The primary hypothesis for the beginnings of Indigenous North Americans suggested that around 13,000 years ago, the "Paleo-Indians" reached the continent via a land bridge known as Siberia. Beringia , to Alaska. However, archaeologists have recently uncovered proof of pre-Clovis settlements and even older human footprints from New Mexico that indicate the first North Americans reached via that path, and possibly following the Pacific coastline, as early as 23,000 years ago.
Into South America
Archeological and genetic findings indicate that early modern humans migrated from North America via Central America to reach South America, as evidenced by fossils and archeological remains suggesting their presence there by this time. about 15,000 years ago ; for instance, the extensively studied site of Monte Verde II in southern Chile dates back to around 14,550 years ago . However, some scientists debate The timing of when the first humans arrived in South America.
To Antarctica
Traditionally, the first person to set foot in Antarctica was the American sealer and explorer John Davis. apparently arrived at the seventh continent In 1821, though this assertion is contested. It could possibly have been visited by either the Norwegian merchant Henrik Bull or the Norwegian adventurer Carsten Borchgrevink, who each asserted they had ventured there in 1895. Additionally, there’s a theory that Early Maoris traveled to Antarctica. from New Zealand as far back as the seventh century, but this is not accepted According to numerous historians and scientists.