The evolutionary path leading to the rise of modern humans is full of twists and turns, and the latest surprise reveals that our species likely sprung forth from two ancient intermingling populations. A new study has confirmed that these groups first diverged from each other around 1.5 million years ago and later merged back together 300,000 years ago, initiating a genetic mixing event that culminated with the birth of modern humans.
The study, published in Nature Genetics, completely rewrites the story of humans. Scientists have long believed that Homo sapiens first appeared in Africa somewhere between 200,000 years and 300,000 years ago, having descended from a single ancestral lineage. The idea of genetic admixture flips the script, however, showing that human origins are much more complex than previously thought.
