Ancient Humans Migrated Out of Africa 900,000 Years Ago to Escape Climate Change-Driven Extinction: Study

While we immediately assumed that the rest succumbed, the way the events actually played out might narrate a different story that reiterates our species’ astounding resilience in the face of adversity — the adversity being very similar to what we face today.

The Mid-Pleistocene Transition around 900,000 years ago, replete with extreme climate swings, was a challenging period for humans. Africa turned arid and resources shrank, pushing them through a ‘bottleneck’. But scientists have recently found that early humans didn't simply succumb; they adapted.

When Our Ancestors Fled a Freezing Africa

Giovanni Muttoni and Dennis Kent, a scientific duo from opposite sides of the Atlantic, meticulously analysed oxygen isotopes trapped in ancient rock formations. This allowed them to pinpoint the exact onset of the first major glaciation — a staggering 900,000 years ago. This date aligns perfectly with both the human migration and the population bottleneck!

These findings paint a clearer picture of what might have happened. As the Earth plunged into an icy grip, Africa's climate transformed. Conditions became harsher, pushing hominins to the brink. But a glimmer of hope emerged — a new land bridge appeared as falling sea levels exposed a path out of Africa and into Eurasia.

Meanwhile, our ancestors weren’t the only species to leave Africa to escape the impacts of climate change. Many animal species also embarked on similar journeys around the same time, marking a turning point in the history of life on Earth.

T​he findings of this study have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and can be accessed here.

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