Final answer:
Hominins migrated for various speculative reasons, including climate changes. These migrations spread hominins globally, facilitating cultural and genetic exchange as they adapted to new environments. Archeological evidence traces Homo sapiens leaving Africa around 200,000 years ago and later interbreeding with other hominin species like Neanderthals.
Step-by-step explanation:
We don't know why hominins migrated, but it is well-known that they were seeing a variety of new and different environments as they spread through Africa, into Europe, Asia, and eventually Australia and the Americas. There are several hypotheses regarding the migration of hominins, with changes in climate and environment being significant factors. As the climate became drier, early Homo sapiens needed to move to find sufficient food and resources. These migrations facilitated genetic exchange and the spread of cultural practices as hominins adapted to the diverse climates and geographies they encountered.
Early Homo erectus showed increased control over their environment and a capacity for adaptation, with new subsistence systems like cultivation and agriculture emerging. Fossil evidence of bipedalism in species like Australopithecus and the inhabitation of regions like Java by Homo erectus highlight the adaptability and mobility of early hominins. The global migration of humans completed around 40,000 years ago, except for the Americas, where human settlement concluded by about 12,000 years ago.
Archeological evidence suggests that Homo sapiens began to leave Africa about 200,000 years ago, reaching the Mediterranean Sea and eventually crossing into Eurasia. Evidence also indicates interbreeding with other hominin species, like Neanderthals, as early humans spread across the globe.