OUT OF AFRICA

Anatomically modern humans evolved in Africa approximately 200,000–300,000 years ago, based on fossil evidence (e.g., Omo Kibish, Ethiopia; Jebel Irhoud, Morocco). Populations migrated out of Africa in waves, displacing or interbreeding with archaic hominins (e.g., Neanderthals, Denisovans) and colonizing Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas. Homo erectus dispersed from Africa ~1.8 million years ago. The Misliya-1 fossil, an upper jawbone with teeth, was unearthed in Misliya Cave and dated to 177,000–194,000 years ago using three independent methods: uranium-series, thermoluminescence, and electron spin resonance dating. This makes it the oldest modern human (Homo sapiens) fossil ever found outside Africa, predating previous records from Israel's Skhul and Qafzeh caves (90,000–120,000 years ago) by at least 50,000 years. Micro-CT scans and 3D modeling confirmed the fossil's modern human traits, including the absence of Neanderthal dental features like tooth shoveling and a cusp at the base of the incisors.The fossil aligns with genetic studies suggesting interbreeding between early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals as early as 220,000 years ago, indicating earlier interactions than previously thought. Climatic conditions played a pivotal role in enabling early humans to leave Africa. Studies reveal that wetter periods created "green corridors" of vegetation and water resources, facilitating movement:- From 200,000 to 125,000 years ago, eastern Africa experienced a relatively wet climate with 20–30% more rainfall than today, supporting early human mobility within Africa and brief excursions into the Arabian Peninsula. A short wet phase (~62,000–60,000 years ago) coincided with the successful migration of Homo sapiens out of Africa, providing sufficient resources for survival during long journeys. Orbital shifts in Earth’s axis (every ~21,000 years) triggered periodic monsoons, creating savanna-like environments in the Sahara and Arabian Peninsula.