The Hybrid Origin of “Modern” Humans

Abstract

Recent genomic research has shown that hybridization between substantially diverged lineages is the rule, not the exception, in human evolution. However, the importance of hybridization in shaping the genotype and phenotype of Homo sapiens remains debated. Here we argue that current evidence for hybridization in human evolution suggests not only that it was important, but that it was an essential creative force in the emergence of our variable, adaptable species. We then extend this argument to a reappraisal of the archaeological record, proposing that the exchange of cultural information between divergent groups may have facilitated the emergence of cultural innovation. We discuss the implications of this Divergence and Hybridization Model for considering the taxonomy of our lineage.

The origin and evolution ofHomo sapiens

“…Others (e.g. [96]) have used the analogy of a braided stream for what they consider to be an open genetic network for different human lineages across the whole Old World, but I think the most appropriate application for this analogy is in the middle Pleistocene of Africa. The imperfect chronological control over the African middle Pleistocene record provides only very limited support for an ordered progression from 'archaic sapiens' to 'modern sapiens' through time.…”

Multivariate morphometrics, quantitative genetics, and neutral theory: Developing a “modern synthesis” for primate evolutionary morphology

“…It is worth noting that the assumption that gene flow will cause populations to become more similar over time is sound when considering closely related taxa, such as populations of modern humans, but may not be sound when taxa are relatively more differentiated. In the case of hybridization among diverging lineages, the consequences of gene flow can be quite variable depending on the nature and extent of genetic diversification among hybridizing lineages . In many cases, hybridizing lineages will display increased genetic variation and, therefore, hybridization can lead to increased population diversification under certain conditions …”

“…In the case of hybridization among diverging lineages, the consequences of gene flow can be quite variable depending on the nature and extent of genetic diversification among hybridizing lineages. 95 In many cases, hybridizing lineages will display increased genetic variation and, therefore, hybridization can lead to increased population diversification under certain conditions. 1…”

Colonialism and narratives of human origins in Asia and Africa

“…In addition to being more inclusive, this acknowledgment of the importance of local processes is forcing western scholars to challenge what it means to be anatomically and behaviourally "modern" (e.g. Ackermann, Mackay, & Arnold, 2016), which will in turn provide the intellectual space for researchers to unpack the extent to which western ideology has constructed modernness. However, this research typically fails to cite the Asian and Australian scholars who have been proposing these ideas for decades, instead attributing these "new" ideas to the work being done by Europeans and North Americans.…”