Research Paper:

Anthropology 1020-301
Megan Wald

The two theories of Modern Human Origins:

The two debated theories include the multiregional theory and the out of Africa model

The Multiregional theory:

This theory suggests that modern humans were relatively recently evolved in Africa, and later migrated

into Europe, Asia and parts of the old world, regional populations slowly evolved to their new-found

climates, cultures, etc. and a created ancient civilizations accordingly. Replacing all populations which

had descended from homo erectus, Critical to this model are the following: as for the anatomical

evidence. Some time prior to 1 million years ago hominids referred to in appropriate speech as homo

erg Astor exiting Africa and dispersing as stated previously.

This theory claims that our early hominid ancestors, including Homo-ergaster and homo heidelbergensis

(An extinct species of the genus Homo that lived in Africa, Europe, and western parts of Asia between

600,000 and 200,000 years ago), migrated out of Africa and brought forth the evolution of modern

humans took place in different parts of the world. This hypothesis places significance on the conception
of evolutionary changes or alterations that happen in different regions and produce diverse variations of

the species due to adaptation. This type of evolution is retained at a regular rate due to a process of

uniting of cultures and gene flow or crossbreeding, thus keeping all ancestors evolving simultaneously.

This process is distinguished by independent evolution, which suggests an understated biological

similarity between populations of species who are separated by countries, climates, and even continents.

The out of Africa 2 Model:

This model is more widely recognized on behalf of its anthropological academics that archaic Homo

Populations did leave Africa originally due to a globalization named Out of Africa 1 model. Next, the

Replacement population maintained their hypothesis that humans today were evolved in Africa from the

ancestral hominids that did not, after all, travel out of Africa in the first stage of world-wide settlements

and due to that decision. Evidence in support of these ideas exists through multiple sources, showing the

clear superiority of this theory in contrast with the multi-regionalist model. Theres in addition, a few

theories surrounding molecular evolution, in DNA study research resides that mitochondria coverts food

into energy.
Why be social? For competition? For Safety? For the well-being and protection of your local
group and family? To better your chances of survival. Or perhaps, to get resources. Raising offspring can
be a tough job for primates in a world full of predators. Mates are also more easily accessible.
Dominance.
Among other groups, Primates group behaviors where individuals are ranked among each other
creates a hierarchy to determine access to resources. Reduces overall physical violence. Dominance
creates to ability of an Aggression is shown by threatening gestures. Learning starts by observation. Than
by interaction. Factors that may influence rank include: Gender, Age, Time in group, level of aggression,
Intelligence, motivation, parents social position.
Communication can vary from species to species. Scents, and Body posture can of course leave a big
impact and get the individuals point across
5 classes of Vertebrates
1. Mammals
2. Reptiles/birds
3. Cartilaginous fish
4. Bony fish
5. Amphibians
Homologous structure (Homology) structure that 2 organisms share because they inherited it from their
common ancestor
Language talk about the past, present and future, places ideas, evolution of language involves many
fundamental rights such as. Basic classification includes kingdom, phylum etc.
Quadrupedal locomotion: knuckle walking and brachiation. Quadrupedal locomotion is a fancy way of
saying an organism that walks on four limbs
Bipedal locomotion: is just that, except it is an organism that walks on two legs (AKA humans)
Maturation is the act or process of maturing
Gestation is the process in which carrying or being carries in the womb is being taken place between
conception and birth.
Diurnal: is Organisms that are active during light hours of the day and is the opposite of nocturnal.
3 theories to explain why primates have developed the characteristics listed above: D Arboreal
hypothesis/
Smith and jones
Primate traits such as grasping hands and binocular vision, were adaptations to life in the trees
Moving from the ground to the trees caused selective pressures revolving around food and social concepts
that resulted in the ancestral primate
Visual predation hypothesis involves changes to arboreal
This hypothesis explains primate origins via the unique primate traits that arose as adaptations rather than
the organisms beginnings. To prey on insects and small animals
There is also the Angiosperm radiation hypothesis which explains why primates underwent adaptive
radiation to follow the radiation of certain angiosperms (a plant that produces flowers and has seeds that
are enclosed within a carpel the angiosperms themselves are a large group and includes herbaceous plants,
shrubs, grasses and most trees.), and their unique traits are the result of a necessity to forage those plants.
Biological and physical anthropology includes scientific discipline that studies the human biological
behavior and characteristics study of human biology from an evolutionary perspective.
The four subfields include this biological and physical anthropology as well as the following 3
1. Cultural: This subfield of anthropology studies the patterns of belief and behavior of modern and
historical human populations.
2. Archaeology: Study of past human populations (Ancient civilizations) through material remains
(artifacts).
3. Linguistics: Study of human language, and origin (how it has developed over time)

Evolution includes some of the following: adaptation, natural selection, survival of the fittest, change
in the genetic makeup of an organism through time
Microevolution vs macroevolution is highly dependent upon sub sequential archives.
Microevolution is small changes in frequencies from one generation to the next.
Macroevolution is the process of speciation change in the genes over a long time leading to a new
species.
Culture can include various things such as the following;
Food, Music, language, religion, traditions, art, clothing, family, literature, structure, architecture,
government, tools and technology.
Dogs genetic origin:
From the study, Ive gained that dogs are originated from a single group of domesticated wolves.
Modern dogs may have originated from a single group of wolves domesticated in Europe around
40,000 years ago, according to a study published today (July 18th) in Nature communications.
To analyze the genetic origin of dogs, researchers first sequenced the genomes from the remains
of two Neolithic dogs, one around 7,000 years old and another.
Approximately, 4,700 years old, discovered at archeological sites in Germany, they then
compared the genetic information from these two canines -and the DNA of 5,000-year-old dog remains
found in Ireland to that of 5,649 modern dogs and wolves.
 References:
Notes from class

Textbook

Information on 2 theories of Modern Human Origins:

http://www.actionbioscience.org/evolution/johanson.html

http://anthrojournal.com/issue/october-2011/article/analysis-of-two-competing-theories-on-the-origin-of-
homo-sapiens-sapiens-multiregional-theory-vs-the-out-of-africa-2-model

Oral Presentation/Dogs Genetic Origin:

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNO/49916/title/Dogs-Have-a-Single-Genetic-Origin--
Study/