Question

How big was the parent population of modern humans immediately before the third exodus from Africa ca. 70,000-100,000 yrs ago?

A. 1.2 million
B. 150
C. 5,000-10,000

Answer 1

The parent population of modern humans before the third exodus from Africa was estimated to be between 5,000 and 10,000 individuals option (c).

Step-by-step explanation:

The question of how large the parent population of modern humans was immediately before the third exodus from Africa circa 70,000-100,000 years ago is an interesting one. Anthropological and genetic evidence suggests that the correct answer is C. 5,000-10,000.

Prior to the Out of Africa exodus during this period, the human populations were likely small and scattered. The multiregional evolution model, which is less supported by genetic data compared to the Out of Africa model, suggests that Homo sapiens evolved from Homo erectus in several regions concurrently, but does not provide a solid basis for population size estimations.

Furthermore, archeological evidence indicates that after leaving Africa, humans continued to live as nomadic hunter-gatherers who slowly expanded their reach across the globe, due to factors such as hunting and climate changes, including glaciation cycles.

By following the migration patterns and looking at early human settlements, researchers postulate the potential numbers that could have contributed to the genetic diversity of the global human population that we see today.

Answer 2

The parent population of modern humans before the third exodus from Africa roughly 70,000-100,000 years ago was between 5,000-10,000 individuals, supporting the "out of Africa" model of human origins.

Step-by-step explanation:

The size of the parent population of modern humans immediately before the third exodus from Africa, which occurred around 70,000 to 100,000 years ago, is believed to have been between 5,000-10,000 individuals.

This estimate is derived from archaeological findings and genetic data analyses that suggest a small, effective population size that would have given rise to modern human diversity observed today.

This counters the multiregional evolution model, which suggests that modern humans evolved from local populations of Homo erectus throughout different regions.

Instead, the smaller effective population size supports the "out of Africa" model, indicating that after the initial migrations out of Africa, a wave of anatomically modern humans left the continent and spread across the globe.