Out of Africa migration

The dispersal of Homo sapiens from Africa into Eurasia, beginning roughly 70,000 to 60,000 years ago. It established populations beyond Africa and involved interbreeding with other human groups.

Southern Dispersal Route: A proposed migration route from northeastern Africa across the Bab-el-Mandeb strait into Arabia and along southern Asia. This coastal pathway may have carried early migrants from Africa into Asia.
Jebel Irhoud: A Moroccan archaeological site containing Homo sapiens fossils dated to about 300,000 years ago. Its fossils show that the species existed in Africa long before the Eurasian dispersal.
Homo sapiens: The living species of human, characterized by complex culture, language, and a distinctive anatomy. The migration traces the spread of this species from its African origins.
Recent African origin model: The model that modern humans originated in Africa and later dispersed to populate the rest of the world. It is the broad explanatory framework for the Eurasian dispersal.
Human genetic diversity: The variation in genetic traits and sequences among human populations and individuals. African populations retain the greatest genetic diversity, reflecting deeper population history there.
Bab-el-Mandeb Strait: A narrow strait connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden between Africa and Arabia. It marks a possible crossing point on the southern route out of Africa.
Omo remains: Homo sapiens fossils from Ethiopia's Omo Kibish formation, dated to at least 230,000 years ago. They document early Homo sapiens in eastern Africa near proposed dispersal routes.
Paleolithic: The prehistoric period characterized by stone tools, extending from early human toolmaking to the advent of agriculture. The dispersal took place during the Paleolithic, before farming and permanent settlements.
Multiregional hypothesis: The hypothesis that modern humans evolved in multiple regions from interconnected archaic populations. It contrasts with an African origin followed by a major dispersal and limited admixture.
Founder effect: A loss of genetic variation when a new population is established by a small number of individuals. Serial founding during expansion helps explain reduced genetic diversity farther from Africa.

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