Final answer:
Anatomically modern humans, or Homo sapiens, appeared about 200,000 years ago, with characteristics similar to present-day humans. They spread throughout various continents, reaching the Americas between 16,000 to 13,000 years ago.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anatomically modern humans, known as Homo sapiens, first appeared approximately 200,000 years ago. These early humans shared the same physical characteristics as present-day humans, such as a rounded skull with a steep forehead, a well-developed chin, and a cranial capacity averaging about 1,400 cubic centimeters. By 300,000 years ago, Homo sapiens emerged in a form biologically identical to today, as evidenced by fossil discoveries, including one from Morocco in 2017. The cultural traditions, symbolic behaviors, and technologies developed later into what is recognized as modern human society.
The 'out of Africa' model postulates that Homo sapiens evolved first in Africa and then migrated outwards, replacing other human species. Meanwhile, by 40,000 years ago, they had dispersed across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia, reaching the Americas between 16,000 to 13,000 years ago.