The Real Eve: Modern Man's Journey Out of Africa about human evolution and migration from Africa

Who is the Real Eve? (a woman from whom all modern humans may be descended)

Where and when did she live? (Africa about 150,000 years ago)

What is the scientific basis that a Real Eve existed? (genetic tracking through mitochondrial DNA; new knowledge of climate and geographical
changes)

What is mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)? (the unique DNA found in the mitochondria of living cells)

How is mitochondrial DNA passed through generations? (Humans inherit it from their mothers.)

How many years ago did the first hominids appear? (3.5 million)

When did this group of hominids migrate out of Africa? ( 80,000 years ago) What was their migration route? (across the Red Sea into what is now
Yemen)

What were the primary causes of the migration of hominid groups? (climate and geography, such as polar caps, deserts, and volcanic eruptions)

When did modern-day humans first migrate into what is now Europe? (50,000 years ago)

What hominids had been living in this region for hundreds of thousands of years? (Neanderthals)

What caused humans to evolve into different races with unique characteristics? (adaptations to different climates)

OUTLINE

THE REAL EVE NOTES:

fr: Mr. Knutsen

These notes are perfect, in the sense that they capture everything you needed to glean from “The Real Eve” documentary. The organizational
structure mirrors the chronological flow of the documentary itself. Note that there is some use of abbreviations, though you would certainly
want to abbreviate much more if you were writing these notes out longhand.
Ultimately, you might want to use these notes as the spine around which you integrate and organize your information for this Unit, including
lecture notes, notes from the Unit 3 online video, and annotations and important highlights from the Reading. In a class like this you want to try
to integrate materials from as many sources as you can, because by integrating them you start seeing recurring patterns – the stuff that’s
repeated the most tends to be the most important. Integration can also allow you to see how different materials, from different sources, can
often come together to form a big picture that you didn’t see before, when you were learning the material separately.

At any rate, here’s the outline:

1. 150K yrs ago, Earth was in an Ice Age w/Humans Struggling to Survive
(oceans 400 feet lower & Africa was a desert)
a. Modern humans struggled & lived as hunters/gatherers, fighting the growing deserts in Africa.
b. Hunting was key to survival – Hunting required cooperation, planning, & communication. Smarter was rewarded w/more food.

2. Genetic tracking Unlocking 7K generations of history.

a. Archaeology tells us much, but not enough.
b. “Genetic Eve” had the mitochondrial DNA that survived (common ancestor to all humans (incl. Africa)
c. Mitochondrial DNA
i. Different than chromosomal DNA
ii. Carried only on female side (boys get Mito DNA fr: mom
iii. Rebecca Cahn was key scientist
1. read DNA like bar codes
2. oldest DNA markers all came from Africa (ev. That humans originated in Africa)
3. Wide variation in Mitochondrial DNA among Africans, but mitochondrial DNA among all humans outside Africa is
virtually identical (with mutations over time)
4. Mitochondrial Eve is different than biblical “Eve.” Not one woman who started humans, but her DNA line
survived, as all other dropped out, making her the “common genetic ancestor” for all humans alive today.”

iv. Dr. Stringer Skull Analysis

120K old human skull is “modern human” in every way & is closest ev of what Mito Eve might have looked like.
3. Earlier humans migrated out of Africa, but didn’t survive.
a. Peking Man, Heidelberg Man, & earlier human species migrated across Europe/Asia, but they all died out/went extinct.
b. Some homo sapiens (modern humans) left through Northern route, but they died during extreme droughts approx. 110K yrs ago.
13 skeletons found in Casfa (sic), proving humans left Africa over 100K yrs ago., but they didn’t survive.

4. “Out of Africa” Story & Evidence (80K yrs BP).

a. Another ice age caused growing African deserts – environmental pressure on humans.
b. “Eve’s” granddaughters @ 80K BP (70K yrs after Eve) were in an E. Africa band of humans surviving along the Red Sea on
beachcombing.
c. Fossilized Reef on Red Sea (evidence of 1st oyster bar)
Showed human tools & eaten oysters, scallops, & clam shells. First proof of coastal beachcombing.
d. Living on seafood causes birthrates to go up, but cause higher ongoing demand for food, increasing pressure to migrate to more
plentiful lands.
e. Human Pop. Eventually dropped to 10K (critically endangered)
f. Lower sea levels (150 ft. lower than today) makes foot crossing of the Red Sea at the “Gates of Grief” possible. Dotted w/islands
& reefs (approx. 10 mi. total). Would have crossed into Yemen, to the “rest of the world.” (Southern Route)
g. Climate on the Yemen side would have been milder -- easier to survive.
h. Northern Route (through Sahara, to Nile, across Suez, into the Sinai, and into Israel & Lebanon, would have been impassible at
this time (Sahara too harsh).

5. Reduction of Mitochondrial DNA lines to 1.

a. First “Out of Africa” community numbered approx. 250 (minimum viable)
b. Stayed together and isolated (inbreeding) for approx. 1K years in the Gulf of Aden.
c. Isolated gene pool probably started w/5-6 mitochondrial lines, that would eventually reduce Mito lines to 1 because:
i. Some women don’t have kids (their lines drop out)
ii. Some women die before childbirth (their lines drop out)
iii. Some women have only boys (their lines drop out)
iv. Eventually, only 1 line left.
v. Natural reduction of lines -- definition: “Genetic Drift”
d. Then (after approx. 1k yrs) original “Out of Africa” group splits up in migration, spreading this “1 remaining line” as they go (along
with any subsequent mutations, allowing tracking to take place)
e. This original group has physically diversified to make up EVERY non-African racial/ethnic group on the planet.

6. Migration to Malaysia (74K BP)

 a. 6K miles in 6K years to Malaysia
b. Living/adapting as hunter/gatherers in rainforest
i. Less protein = smaller height
ii. Less direct sun = lighter complexion
iii. No physical evidence because seas have risen 150 meters.
c. Partial proof fr: Mt. Toba eruption (Sumatra) 74K BP
Biggest explosion on planet in 2M yrs, caused 6 yrs of volcanic winter (constant clouds/ash, shuts down much photosynthesis,
etc.)
d. Partial proof from “Sumang” people of Malaysia
“Sumang:” have been largely isolated & may have ancient Mitochondrial DNA branches deriving directly from original “Out of
Africa” group. Evidence:
i. Facial features look more African than traditional SE Asian.
ii. DNA shows they are straight (directly descended) from “daughters of Eve” 80K yrs ago.
iii. Ancient Sumang tool workshop is covered with Toba ash, proving it is at least 74K yrs old (proves Sumang were in
Malaysia early enough to be from original group).

7. Crossing to Australia
a. Some of the descendents of ancient Sumang moved on to Australia.
b. Lower sea level (160 feet) made crossing to Australia fr: SE Asia much easier then than today (could island hop w/o any long
ocean crossings).
c. Multiple variations of Mitochondrial lines (unique to Australians & derived directly from “Out of Africa Eve”) among different
females arriving at similar times indicates planned migration, rather than raft wreck.
d. Australia home to strange creatures
Mega-fauna, mega-flora all extinct with a few thousand years after human arrival. (Probably burned enough mega-flora that
animals that depended on it died off).
e. When Ice age recedes, ocean levels rise, isolating Australia for tens of thousands of years.

8. Mungo-Man 3
a. DNA Tested to 64K BP & no links to any other known DNA (If true, would blow up “Out of Africa” theory)
b. Dr. Stringer says:
i. Could be contaminated DNA
ii. Can still be interpreted consistent w/Out of Africa theory

9. What Makes us Different?

 a. Less Mitochondrial variation among entire human race than among a small group of apes or chimps in Africa (indirect evidence
of “Out of Africa” theory)
b. Skin Color Explanation
Dr. Jablonski
i. Researching folic acid (critical for fetal development). UV radiation kills folate & makes embryonic development
impossible
ii. Humans need UV radiation to make vitamin D (avoids Ricketts)
iii. Humans need to balance UV (enough for vitamin D, but not so much that folic acid is destroyed)
iv. As humans migrate farther from the Equator (less UV), skin de-pigments to allow for vitamin D production.
v. Jablonski estimates entire process (black to white (or vice versa)) takes approx. 20K years.

10. EUROPE: 50K yrs. ago first homo sapiens to Europe (Why later than Australia?)
a. Oppenheimer: Europe was closed off during initial migration due to ice age. Glaciers receded & rains came to Middle East
approx. 50K yrs ago.
b. Humans (from 1st southern migration) walked from Mid. East into Europe
c. Genetic ev. Supports southern route to Europe from Middle east settlers (between the Tigris & Euphrates rivers)
d. People came to have fixed burial grounds & sacred places
Mourned their dead, ceremonies.

e. Neanderthal interactions
i. Found Neand. Skeleton in Neander Valley in Germany.
ii. Stringer on Neanderthals:
1. Skull/Body
Strong brow ridge, face pulled forward, huge nose. Appears cold adapted. Short & stocky conserves heat. Big
nose/nasal cavity warms air.
2. Not dull. Brains were as big as HS. Common ancestors approx. 500K yrs. Ago. DNA 10X closer to us than chimps.
3. Genes have died out if interbred w/HS.
4. Otherwise, Neanderthal & Homo Sapiens (HS) competed for territory in Europe, & Neanderthals lost.
5. Neanderthals used tools for 100’sK years, w/very little innovation. Much copying of HS tool innovations upon HS
arrival in Europe.
6. Neanderthals were extinct within 10K years of HS contact.
Reason may have been slow to adapt & compete w/more resourceful HS.
 f. Waves into Europe
4 separate mitochondrial lines into Europe 45-10K years ago, from Asia & Mid East.

11. Ornamentals
a. Small carvings out of Mammoth ivory. Some painted. Very smooth (maybe handled for generations?).
b. Realistic or idealized forms? Uncertain.
c. Evidence of sewn clothing
i. Bone needles = sewing
ii. Maybe weaving fabrics
iii. Increase personal expression = fashion.
iv. Burial garments w/ 1000’s of beads (hours per bead)
d. Carving in mammoth tusk (50K yrs) of a mammoth.
e. Cave paintings go back 35K years.
(often depicts animals & magical forms, part of Shaminism/magic rituals?

12. Migration Into Americas (@ Bering Strait)

a. Original view: No N. America migrants before 15K yrs ago.
b. New view: First migrants 20-25K yrs ago.
c. 25K, One of worst ice ages emerges. First immigrants got in ahead of ice age/glaciers & were sealed off in Americas for 8K yrs.
d. Ice retreats & allows new wave of migrants into N. America, while original migrants move north (fr: S. America), following
retreating glaciers.
i. Ev: Meadowcroft site in Ohio documents artifacts dated to 16K yrs ago (early migration necessary to get to Ohio by 16K
bp). Blade cores look like N. China cores dating back 20K yrs.
ii. Ev. Supports multiple pulses in N. America.
iii. Kennewick Man dated to 9.5K yrs ago (E. Washington on Columbia river)
1. Very beaten up
2. Blade in pelvis, evidence of conflict. Blade type similar w/modern American Indians.
3. Evidence that new wave of immigrants was competing with original (pre-ice age) immigrants over
land/resources.

13. Modern Humans Can Trace Their Mitochondrial DNA.

(N. American Indian & Greek related back 30K yrs from southern Siberia.