Genomic Insights into the Out-of-Africa Dispersal(s) of Modern Humans

Abstract

Abstract The origins of our species, modern humans, have long been a contentious issue, with numerous models based on fossil and archaeological data having been proposed and argued about. Beginning 30 years ago, with seminal studies of mitochondrial DNA variation, genetic and now genomic data have firmly established that Africa is the home of modern humans, and that all non-African populations are derived from Africa. Moreover, the analysis of genomic data from archaic human fossils has revealed that interbreeding occurred between modern and archaic humans. Thus, the model that best describes the origins of our species is that of a recent African origin followed by assimilation of archaic humans as modern humans dispersed across and out of Africa. However, numerous questions remain, particularly whether there was a single dispersal or multiple dispersals of modern humans from Africa, and genomic data bring insights into this question.