Marci Jones

Dr. Potter
Salt Lake Community College
ANTHRO 1020
Modern Human Origins
One of the most debated topics in Paleoanthropology is the two
theories of human origin. The two main theories of human origins today are
the theory of replacement and the theory of regional continuity. The
replacement theory suggests that modern humans came from one ancestor
while the regional continuity theory suggests that humans evolved from
multiple different species and had interbreeding within the Homo sapiens
and Neanderthals and humans. Within this paper I will be explaining the two
theories closer and more in dept.
The research theory, otherwise known as the out-of-Africa theory or
the recent African origins model, is the much more accepted theory of
modern human origins. It states that we evolved fairly recently from one
species from Africa and we ultimately migrated around the world from Africa.
We are believed to have evolved solely in Africa and then migrated which
then led to modern humans replacing the other more primitive species
around the world.

One of the things that leads more to the replacement theory is the
study of our genetic makeup. As humans, we do not have a lot of genetic
variation, which suggests that we came from the same species long ago
rather than multiple different species. They have also discovered that out of
all the different populations from the world, the most variety found in our
genetic makeup was found in Africa. This could mean that because humans
evolved from Africa first, they had a longer period of time to develop genetic
diversity.
Another factor that goes into the replacement theory is that scientists
have been able to extract DNA from Neanderthal bones that prove that
modern humans and Neanderthals were separated for at least 400,000
years. It is also prevalent, through studying genetic makeup, that there was
no interbreeding occurring between the modern humans and the
Neanderthals because of how different our DNA is. Scientists have also seen
that Neanderthal skull fossils are much more diverse than modern humans.
The theory of regional continuity is a newer theory and not quite as
accepted as a modern theory of human origin as the replacement theory.
Even though the theory itself is newer, the theory states that it believes that
Homo sapiens left Africa a lot sooner than they did in the theory of
replacement. This theory is very persistent in believing that we evolved from
multiple different species all over the world to become the one species we
are today.

This theory believes that races today have developed because of

natural selection playing a large part on the certain species in different
environments. They also believe that speciation did not occur due to the
gene flow at the time in different areas. Scientists have found different
skeletons that prove they have morphological clades, (Donald Johanson,
para 3) or race. The regional continuity scientists believe that through the
multiple different fossils they have found with this regional variants,
(Donald Johanson, para 5).
Looking through the evidence of the two theories, I think that I believe
the replacement theory to be more accurate. I think that it sounds unlikely
for us to all evolve from different Homos and yet end up with little variation
in our genetic makeup. I believe that we would be a lot more diverse as
humans if we didnt evolve from one main species. I understand that regional
continuity argues that race is due to the different species that we evolved
from all around the world, but we still have almost identical DNA. Even if we
do look differently than each other, we still have the same genetic makeup
which proves that we are not so different after all.
I think that because they have seen that Neanderthals DNA is so
different than our own, we are probably not related. I do not call myself an
expert in the study of anthropology, but I feel that I have grown a knowledge
for the topics at hand and come to the conclusion that we, modern humans,
are not that old. I think that the regional continuity theory believes that we
are much older than plausible.

All in all, I think that most people believe in the replacement theory
more because it has more evidence which shows truth than the regional
continuity theory does. I think it is more logical as well. Not only do we have
DNA and fossil evidence to prove it is accurate, it also makes more sense
when comparing the age of skeletons we have found in the world today.

Works Cited
Wolpoff, M. H. (2001). Modern Human Ancestry at the Peripheries: A Test of
the

Replacement Theory. Science, 291(5502), 293-297.

Johanson, Donald. "Origins of Modern Humans: Multiregional or Out of

Africa?"

Actionbioscience. American Institute of Biological Science,

May 2001.

Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

Kelso, J., & Prfer, K. (2014). Ancient humans and the origin of modern
humans.

Current Opinion In Genetics & Development, 29133-138.

doi:10.1016/j.gde.2014.09.004

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