Early Humans Had Unique 'Superpower' That Helped Them Survive Before Migrating Out of Africa
Experts have long believed that human settlements spread throughout the world after ancient species migrated from Africa. This migration supposedly happened around 50,000 years ago, according to MyNBC. A significant question that always intrigued scientists about this migration was why lasting human settlements happened only after this one, and not the prior movements. A study published in Nature puts forward a possible reason for the enduring large-scale settlements by the human species post the 'Great Human Migration.'
The reason cited by the researchers associated with the study is adaptability. Experts think that the human species that left Africa 50,000 years ago had garnered this ability and therefore managed to sustain themselves in the extreme climate conditions they faced after their exit. Sustenance led to settlements and the spread of these species all across the world.
As past evidence has suggested, the human species did disperse out of Africa even before the 'Great Human Migration,' according to Eureka Alert. The study claims that those sections did not succeed in establishing long-term establishments because they could not endure the drastic climatic changes.
For this study, the team of experts assembled a database detailing information about archaeological sites and environmental insights in Africa, encompassing the last 120,000 years. "We used methods developed in ecology to understand changes in human environmental niches, the habitats humans can use and thrive in, during this time,” explained Dr Emily Hallett of Loyola University Chicago, co-lead author of the study. The dataset indicated that starting from 70,000 years ago, human environmental niches began to expand for the African human population. This means they were using more diverse places as habitats, ranging from forests to arid deserts.
The finding showcased that the species were more adaptable to varying conditions in those 20,000 years in Africa, after which they began their waves of movement, culminating in the 'Great Human Migration.' This feature was also evident in the routes undertaken by the human species in past movements and the 'Great Human Migration,' as per Prof. Andrea Manica of the University of Cambridge.
Researchers noted that the movements that took place earlier took place when the Saharo-Arabian desert belt experienced increased rainfall. This facilitated the formation of 'green corridors', which made it easier for groups to enter Eurasia. However, the environmental database of the area from 70,000 to 50,000 years ago indicates that the route became more difficult from the perspective of climatic conditions during that period. Yet, the human species managed to traverse it successfully.
This implies that the human species then garnered the prowess to not only withstand the condition but also sustain themselves, as they expanded thereafter in Eurasia. “Unlike previous humans dispersing out of Africa, those human groups moving into Eurasia after ~60-50 thousand years ago were equipped with a distinctive ecological flexibility as a result of coping with climatically challenging habitats,” said Prof. Eleanor Scerri of the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany. “This likely provided a key mechanism for the adaptive success of our species beyond their African homeland.”
The study claims that the experience of living in diverse habitats in Africa aided individuals in facing the extreme climatic circumstances, according to MyNBC. Dr. Hallett calls it 'ecological flexibility,' which allowed these groups to survive in diverse environments and situations, which they eventually faced during their worldwide dispersion.
As known, by past examinations Homo Sapiens wasn't the only human species to move out of Africa in the 'Great Human Migration,' other species did as well. The findings imply that this 'ecological flexibility' should have been present in all those species. The other species, like Neanderthals, are also known to establish long-term settlements elsewhere. This fact intrigued a lot of experts, as the findings despite showcasing why the 'Great Human Migration' succeded, it did not reveal why only Homo Sapiens managed to thrive amongst all the species that left in those waves of movement.