The debates over the origin of modern humans have long been centered on two competing theories:the "Out-of-Africa"(single-place origin) theory and the "Multi-regional Evolution" theory.China is an ...The debates over the origin of modern humans have long been centered on two competing theories:the "Out-of-Africa"(single-place origin) theory and the "Multi-regional Evolution" theory.China is an extremely important region where many ancient human fossils were collected along with numerous associated faunal remains and artefacts.These cultural remains,unearthed from different areas in the country and covering a long time span,will help clarify the controversy.The study of cultural materials in China is expected to shed important light on biological evolutionary patterns and social and technical developments of those early humans as well as their environmental conditions.Based on the analysis of Chinese fossils and associated materials,in conjunction with some genetic studies,this paper aims at evaluating each of the two theories in order to stimulate more discussions.Our study suggests that the evolutionary model of "Continuity with Hybridization" is most relevant in reflecting the current understanding of human evolutionary history in China.Furthermore,we propose that the concept of regional diversity of evolutionary models should be seriously considered to illustrate different evolutionary modes applied to different parts of the world.展开更多
Hypotheses concerning the origins of modern humans have been intensively debated, and two competing models, the recent "Out-of-Africa" and "Multiregional Evolution" paradigms, have dominated resear...Hypotheses concerning the origins of modern humans have been intensively debated, and two competing models, the recent "Out-of-Africa" and "Multiregional Evolution" paradigms, have dominated research and discussions for decades. Evidence from China has played a fundamental role in this debate: regional continuity and replacement by populations in-migrated from Africa have both been suggested and supported mainly by paleoanthropologists and geneticists, respectively. As more evidence has accumulated, new results obtained, and more scholars from various disciplines become involved, supporters of the recent "Out-of-Africa" model agree more or less with the "Multiregional Evolution" model regarding the complex history of modern humans and their interbreeding with other archaic populations(e.g., Neandertals). Recent discoveries of new human fossils, Paleolithic archaeological materials, and ancient DNA evidence in China have yielded a large body of information regarding the formation and development of modern humans in this region. However, controversies continue, including that most molecular biologists insist on the replacement of archaic populations by modern humans dispersed from Africa, while most paleoanthropologists and archaeologists propose an enhanced "Continuity with Hybridization" model. In this paper, we compile new results and progress in China and present the current debates and issues on the origins of modern humans. Finally, we offer several suggestions for future studies.展开更多
基金supported by National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2006CB806400)Specific Basic Research Program of Ministry of Sciences and Technology of China (Grant No. 2007FY110200)+2 种基金Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KZCX2-YW-Q1-04)National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. J0603965)CAS/SAFEA International Partnership Program for Creative Research Teams, and Royal Ontario Museum Research Grant
文摘The debates over the origin of modern humans have long been centered on two competing theories:the "Out-of-Africa"(single-place origin) theory and the "Multi-regional Evolution" theory.China is an extremely important region where many ancient human fossils were collected along with numerous associated faunal remains and artefacts.These cultural remains,unearthed from different areas in the country and covering a long time span,will help clarify the controversy.The study of cultural materials in China is expected to shed important light on biological evolutionary patterns and social and technical developments of those early humans as well as their environmental conditions.Based on the analysis of Chinese fossils and associated materials,in conjunction with some genetic studies,this paper aims at evaluating each of the two theories in order to stimulate more discussions.Our study suggests that the evolutionary model of "Continuity with Hybridization" is most relevant in reflecting the current understanding of human evolutionary history in China.Furthermore,we propose that the concept of regional diversity of evolutionary models should be seriously considered to illustrate different evolutionary modes applied to different parts of the world.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41672024)the Chinese Academy of Sciences Strategic Priority Research Program(Grant No.XDPB05)the National Basic Research Project under the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(Grant No.2014FY110300)
文摘Hypotheses concerning the origins of modern humans have been intensively debated, and two competing models, the recent "Out-of-Africa" and "Multiregional Evolution" paradigms, have dominated research and discussions for decades. Evidence from China has played a fundamental role in this debate: regional continuity and replacement by populations in-migrated from Africa have both been suggested and supported mainly by paleoanthropologists and geneticists, respectively. As more evidence has accumulated, new results obtained, and more scholars from various disciplines become involved, supporters of the recent "Out-of-Africa" model agree more or less with the "Multiregional Evolution" model regarding the complex history of modern humans and their interbreeding with other archaic populations(e.g., Neandertals). Recent discoveries of new human fossils, Paleolithic archaeological materials, and ancient DNA evidence in China have yielded a large body of information regarding the formation and development of modern humans in this region. However, controversies continue, including that most molecular biologists insist on the replacement of archaic populations by modern humans dispersed from Africa, while most paleoanthropologists and archaeologists propose an enhanced "Continuity with Hybridization" model. In this paper, we compile new results and progress in China and present the current debates and issues on the origins of modern humans. Finally, we offer several suggestions for future studies.
