The Origin of "anatomically modern" Homo sapiens


What do we mean by "anatomically modern"?
	Shorter, rounder skull
	Vertical forehead
	Boney chin
	Smaller browridges
	Lighter build
	NOT Neandertals
The earliest known specimens
	~ 100-120 TYA
	Found in Africa
	Border Cave
	Klasies River Mouth
Behavior and extent of early moderns
	Tool types
		Mostly same as Neandertals
		But with some innovations
			Blade tools
			Bone tools
			Symmetrical points
		More regional variation
	Hunting strategies
		More technologically advanced hunting; snares, thrown spears
		More varied diets; fish, shellfish, sea mammals
		Better knowledge of animal habits; more intense hunting and gathering
		Seasonal strategies
	Regions and sites
		Africa; above plus Omo, Jebel Irhud
		Israel; shares with Neandertals- same time or alternating?
			Skhul & Qafzeh
			~ 100-80 TYA
		Europe; eventually replaces Neandertals
			~30-40 TYA
			Vindija, Croatia
			Cro-Magnon, France
The Great Debate
	The Muliregional Hypothesis
		Milford Wolpoff
		Modern peoples descended from local populations of H. erectus
		Gene flow maintained one, giant breeding population
		Adaptive changes spread, while regional quirks persisted
	The Population (or Complete) Replacement Hypothesis
		Chris Stringer
		Modern peoples descended from one recent population of modern H.
		    spaiens
		Spread out and totally replaced archaics
	The Genetic (or Partial) Replacement Hypothesis
		Gunter Brauer
		Modern triats first arose in Africa
		Spread out & interbred with archaics
		Modern form more successful, archaic traits died out
Evidence
	Fossil
		Earliest Moderns found in Africa, later in other regions
		Very few "transitional" or "hybrid" fossils
		In W. Europe, latest Neand. & Earliest Mod. distinct
		In E Europe & Isreal, possible "hybrids"
		Traits that Multiregionalists see continuity in, Replacementites see 
		    differences
	Archaeological
		Clear break in tool types in Europe, later Mid-east and Asia
		But use same tools earlier in Isreal
		Innovations that become pronounced later first appear in Africa
	Genetic
		Mitocrodrial DNA places ancestor all all living humans in Africa at about 
		    100 TYA
		African populations have most varied DNA; means living there the longest 
		   & other pops decended from them
		Challanges to DNA analysis in timing and region; computer programs can
		    give several "right" answers 
		Modern humans are very uniform in genetic traits; not much variation 
		   between pops or individuals
	On the balance, a Partial Replacement seems most likely; Modern H. Sapiens arose 
	    first in Africa, then spread to other areas replacing Archaics with some amount 
	    of interbreeding.