Its anatomical features — a relatively large brain, thin-walled skull and flat forehead — made it the oldest modern human ever discovered. The abundance of evidence there led anthropologists, geneticists and paleontologists to believe it was where modern humans began their journey. Recent studies have cast doubt on the very premise that modern humans have a single origin. Rather than a clear tree of linear progress, modern humans evolved in a messy circle weaving in a myriad of directions. As so many pieces of the modern human puzzle are missing, the next one could bring a huge advance in understanding how modern humans evolved across Africa.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 18, 2020 20:48 UTC