African hybridization-and-replacement model
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The African hybridization-and-replacement model, also known as the "Out of Africa 2" theory, posits that modern humans (Homo sapiens) evolved in Africa and then migrated out, replacing existing hominin populations in other parts of the world. This contrasts with the multiregional hypothesis, which suggests that Homo sapiens evolved concurrently in different regions from earlier hominin populations.1
Genetic and fossil evidence supports the Out of Africa model, indicating that modern humans originated in Africa and subsequently spread, with limited interbreeding occurring with other hominin groups like Neanderthals and Denisovans. While the exact timing and number of migrations are debated, this theory is the prevailing scientific explanation for the origin and spread of anatomically modern humans.1
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