Study reveals how early humans left Africa 84,000 years ago

Modern humans evolved in Africa between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago and migrated from the continent in several stages to populate Asia and then Europe. A new study has shed light on how it happened. Early humans migrated from Africa 84,000 years ago to populate the rest of the world by following river routes through Jordan - not going via the Red Sea as previously thought, according to a new scientific study. Scientists from the University of Southampton and Shantou University in China carried out field work in Jordan's rift valley where they found hand tools buried in the sediment of now-dried up rivers. Using luminescence dating techniques they traced them back to around 84,000 years ago. Modern humans evolved in Africa between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago and migrated from the continent in several stages to populate Asia and then Europe. It was previously thought that when sea levels were low they travelled from the horn of Africa to southwestern Arabia via the Red Sea. But the discovery of the tools seems to confirm another theory that they took a land-only route to the north towards Jordan. Their journeys followed "well-watered corridors" of river channels that have since dried up and become desert, the study, published in the journal Science Advances, says. #earlyhumans #84000yearsago #earlyhumansAfrica