Ex Africa semÂper aliqÂuid novi. AttribÂuted to varÂiÂous lumiÂnarÂies of antiqÂuiÂty, that sayÂing (the probÂaÂble inspiÂraÂtion for Isak DineÂsen’s poem “Ex Africa,” itself the probÂaÂble inspiÂraÂtion for her memÂoir Out of Africa, which in turn was looseÂly adaptÂed into SydÂney PolÂlackÂ’s Oscar-lavÂished film) transÂlates to “Out of Africa, always someÂthing new.” But it’s perÂhaps more notable that out of Africa came someÂthing quite old indeed: humankind itself, which over the past 60,000 years has been spreadÂing ever farÂther across the world. You can see how it hapÂpened in the InsidÂer SciÂence video above, which aniÂmates those 60 milÂlenÂnia of globÂal migraÂtion in less than two and a half minÂutes.
For more detail, conÂsidÂer supÂpleÂmentÂing that video with this one from GeoNoÂmad, which tracks the outÂward expanÂsion of humanÂiÂty through DNA research. “SciÂenÂtifÂic research has shown that the 7.5 bilÂlion peoÂple who occuÂpy the earth today are the descenÂdants of a woman who lived 200,000 years ago,” explains its narÂraÂtion.
“SciÂenÂtists call her MitoÂchonÂdrÂiÂal Eve,” in refÂerÂence to the DNA locatÂed in mitoÂchonÂdria, a type of enerÂgy-proÂducÂing organelle known as “the powÂerÂhouse of the cell.” Both male and female humans posÂsess mitoÂchonÂdrÂiÂal DNA, of course, but only female mitoÂchonÂdrÂiÂal DNA passÂes down to offÂspring; hence our not talkÂing about a MitoÂchonÂdrÂiÂal Adam.
DNA mapÂping has allowed us to trace the genetÂic and geoÂgraphÂiÂcal hisÂtoÂry of the MitoÂchonÂdrÂiÂal Eve’s descenÂdants. Some left for othÂer parts of Africa, and othÂers for what we now know as the MidÂdle East and India. Whether by wanÂderÂlust or necesÂsiÂty — and givÂen the harÂrowÂing conÂdiÂtions implied by their low surÂvival rate, the latÂter probÂaÂbly had more to do with it — cerÂtain groups conÂtinÂued on to modÂern-day southÂeast Asia and AusÂtralia. It was through westÂern Asia that the first humans entered neanÂderthal-popÂuÂlatÂed Europe as earÂly as 56,800 years ago. There, some 546 cenÂturies latÂer, TerÂence would write, “Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto”: a decÂlaÂraÂtion perÂhaps made in the susÂpiÂcion that, when you go back far enough, we’re all one big famÂiÂly.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
New Study Finds That Humans Are 33,000 Years OldÂer Than We Thought
How Humans MigratÂed Across The Globe Over 200,000 Years: An AniÂmatÂed Look
The HisÂtoÂry of the World in One Video: Every Year from 200,000 BCE to Today
Cats MigratÂed to Europe 7,000 Years EarÂliÂer Than Once Thought
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
I thought there was carÂbon datÂed eviÂdence of humans in AusÂtralia that dates back 65,000 years. That would make this entire timeÂline wrong by many thouÂsands of years wouldn’t it?
https://www.nature.com/articles/nature22968