Human Evolution and Migration

• 16 Dec 2024

Source: TH 

Why in News? 

Scientists have established that Homo sapiens evolved in Africa and later migrated to various parts of the world. The routes and timing of these migrations are still debatable among the scientists. 

• The coastal dispersion theory suggests migration along coastlines, though it lacks strong archaeological evidence. 

 

Human Evolution 

• Human evolution is the evolutionary process that led to the emergence of anatomically modern humans, beginning with the evolutionary history of primates—in particular genus Homo—and leading to the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct species of the hominid family, the great apes. 
• Stages of Evolution of Human: 
  • Dryopithecus 
  • Ramapithecus 
  • Australopithecus 
  • Homo 
    • Homo habilis 
    • Homo erectus 
    • Homo sapiens 
      • Homo sapiens neanderthalensis 
      • Homo sapiens sapiens 

 

What is the Route of Human Migration? 

• Background: 
  • Genetic studies have provided insights into human evolution and migration patterns. By analyzing mitochondrial DNA mutations, scientists confirmed that Homo sapiens evolved in Africa over millennia before migrating globally. 
    • While scientists widely accept the out-of-Africa theory, they differ on the timing and routes of migration. 
• Two Theories of Dispersion: 
  • Coastal Dispersion Theory: Studies suggest humans migrated along coasts, benefiting from warm climates, abundant food, and tropical conditions. 
    • Research in 2005 using mitochondrial DNA of 260 Orang Asli individuals (Tribe of Malaysia) indicated rapid coastal migration around 65,000 years ago, reaching Australia via the Indian Ocean. 
    • A 2020 study on 2,700-year-old DNA in Japan linked coastal migration to genetic affinities with Taiwanese tribes. 
      • Andaman Islands’ settlements also correlate with coastal journeys. 
    • Challenges to the Theory: 
      • Archeological evidence in India contradicts this model. Inland Palaeolithic sites dominate, with no archeological traces along the Indian Ocean coastline to support coastal dispersion. 
• Inland Dispersion Model: The inland dispersal model suggests that early humans migrated through interior terrestrial routes rather than coastal ones. 
  • Saurashtra Peninsula Study: 
    • Recent research analysed Middle Palaeolithic tools in the Bhadar and Aji river basins of Gujarat. 
    • Using relative dating methods, the tools were found to be 56,000–48,000 years old, indicating inland migration. 
    • Middle Palaeolithic tools revealed advanced flaking techniques, contrasting with sharper blade tools of the Late Palaeolithic. 
    • Studies suggest Saurashtra was connected to Kutch, Makran, and the Western Ghats during the Middle Palaeolithic, indicating the region was farther from the coast. 
    • No evidence of marine resource dependence (e.g., fish, shellfish) was found, further supporting inland migration. 

Conclusion 

• The study offers new data but emphasizes the need for precise dating. Evidence challenges purely coastal migration theories but requires careful interpretation due to submerged sites and undated regions. 
• The study also highlights broader dispersal in Saurashtra, covering coastal, hinterland, and inland areas, suggesting a multifaceted migration pattern. 
• This detailed analysis of inland vs. coastal migration patterns continues to evolve, emphasizing the need for integrating genetic and archeological findings. 

 UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ) 

Q. The word ‘Denisovan’ is sometimes mentioned in media in reference to (2019)

1. fossils of a kind of dinosaurs 
2. an early human species 
3. a cave system found in North-East India 
4. a geological period in the history of Indian subcontinent 

Ans: (b)