Newly discovered stone tools drag dawn of Greek archaeology back by a quarter-million years

[wnylib]

10. There were several waves of migration out of Africa.

Sapiens (modern humans) are the most recent ones.

Homo erectus (first upright hominids standing on two feet) were first to leave Africa. Meantime, upright hominids within Africa continued to evolve and Heidelbergensis was next. He's believed to be the common ancestor of Neanderthal and Denisovans who evolved later. Denisovans, found mostly in East and South Asia, is likely an offshoot of Neanderthal.

When Sapiens (modern humans) evolved in Africa and became the last wave to leave Africa, they interbred with Neanderthals and Denisovans. Modern humans (except for people in Sub Saharan Africa) are a mix of Sapiens, Neanderthal, and Denisovan.

Here are the hominids who left Africa and their timelines.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_human_migrations