Scientists trace origin of human race to Bostwanna, Africa in new research

Scientists trace origin of human race to Bostwanna, Africa in new research

- Scientists have traced the origin of all modern humans to Lake Makgadikgadi, a place in Bostwana

- The experts used mitochondrial DNA to trace back the history of human race to 200,000 years ago

- According to the research, our ancestors moved when they discovered more fertile lands while others waited back in Africa

Some scientists have traced the origin of all modern humans to a place that is south of the Zambezi River in Botswana.

BBC reports that though the said area was very much dominated by salt pans, it was once the place with a big river. The scientist said that the place could have been the ancestral land 200,000 years ago.

The same media also said that our ancestors once settled for 70,000 years before climate change opened up more fertile lands, making some of them to migrate out of Africa.

Professor Vanessa Hayes, a geneticist, said that though it was clear that modern human appeared on the continent 200,000 years ago, their exact emergence location and how they moved was not ascertained.

Read also

Top facts from the history of federal fire service in Nigeria

It should be noted, however, that Hayes’ submission drew doubts from some other researchers in the same field.

The researchers said that the ancestors of modern human settled near Africa’s huge lake called Lake Makgadikgadi.

The research used mitochondrial property of the DNA to trace the origin of modern human. Photo source: BBC
The research used mitochondrial property of the DNA to trace the origin of modern human. Photo source: BBC
Source: UGC

"It's an extremely large area, it would have been very wet, it would have been very lush. And it would have actually provided a suitable habitat for modern humans and wildlife to have lived," the professor said.

It was gathered that the first set of ancestors that set out went north-east, and another group went south-west, leaving the third group who remained until the present day.

The research was conducted by tracing the human family tree using hundreds of DNA through their mitochondrial elements.

Professor Chris Stringer, another expert, however, took the research result with much caution, saying the origin of human cannot be traced through mitochondrial DNA only.

PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update

Read also

10 uses of music you should know about

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Africans in the diaspora, led by the chairman of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, paid an emotional visit to Badary's Point of No Return.

The Point of No Return is also known as Gberefu Island and is historically known as a place where thousands of slaves were transported through during transatlantic slave trade era.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better

Slum Chronicles: We encourage our husbands to marry more than one wife | Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Joseph Omotayo avatar

Joseph Omotayo (HOD Human-Interest) Joseph Omotayo has been writing for the human interest desk since 2019 and is currently the head of the desk. He graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, with a degree in Literature in English in 2016. He once worked for Afridiaspora, OlisaTV & CLR. He is a 2022/2023 Kwame Karikari Fact-Checking fellow. He can be reached via: joseph.omotayo@corp.legit.ng.

Tags: