Hominins, the branch of our family tree that separated itself from the other great apes, are believed to have ventured out of their place of origin in sub-Saharan Africa as early as two million years ago. Members of the now extinct species Homo erectus may have been the world’s first pioneers, followed, 1.5 million years later, by Homo heidelbergensis, a possible ancestor of the Neanderthals.
These hominins got a head start over our own species, Homo sapiens. Fossils from Israel and Greece suggest that their initial attempt to leave Africa happened between 210,000 and 177,000 years ago.
Members of Homo sapiens did not spread across the corners of the globe in a single, uninterrupted migratory movement. Ancient humans undertook dozens of voyages during the prehistoric period, the majority of which were unsuccessful. Sometimes migratory populations were unable to take root in new regions. At other times, they simply packed their things and returned to Africa. A study from last year showed that archaic humans spent almost half a millennium moving in and out of the Arabian Peninsula following changes in the global climate.
