Figure 1.--This is a postcard published by the Trans-Australian Railway as a tourism promotion, we think during the 1930s. It was marked the Rose series, Rise may have been the photogtrapher. The caption read, "Wild Harry: This youth has been prtially initiated into manhood, and wears the head-dress indicative of his having gone through the ceremony onand after their first appearance in public. The bun worn at the back nof the head may be their own hair, or other material woven in withb their hair. The band round the head is made of string woiven from human hair or fur of animals."

All modern humans have African origins. All homonoids originated in Africa. Then something happened (about 150,000 BC). Anthropolgistrs debte just what happened. Theories range from evolutuinary developments to clkimate change. This was a contriversial theory when first proposed (19th century). It is now accepted anthropolical doctrine. Much is still not known beyond what made the migration out of africa possible. Another question was when and how this migration took place. Scientists until recently (2000s) generally believed that this process occurred gradually, presumably through Sinai and than into Asia and Africa. Anthropologists assumed that man moved out of Africa into Asia, Europe, and ultimately Australia at about the same time. The Australian aborigeenes were assumed to have been simply the farthest extent of this migration. DNA studies, however, tell a different story. There were apparently at least two major waves. It was the firt wave that ultimtely led to the peopleing of Australia (before 50,000 BC). The migratiin through Sinai that peopled Asia and Europe occurred much later (after 40,000 BC). Australia's aborigenes or thus a living remanent of the eastern-most movement of man's first foray out of Africa. And rather than moving through Ssnai, the ancestors of the aborignees almost certainly moved east by hugging the shore line. This seems to have occurred relatively rapidly. These people no longer exist along the cast of South Asia and Southeast Asia because they were replaced by people descending from the lter wave. There is, however, some genetuc traces of the first wave. The strongest is on the Andaman Islands. The Aborignees survived as a people because sea levels rose abnd the second wave out of Africa which arrived in Southeast Asia much later could not get to Australia.

Human Origins

All modern humans have African origins. Anthropologists assumed that man moved out of Africa into Asia, Europe, and ultimately Australia at about the same time. The Australian aborigeenes were at first assumed to have been simply the farthest extent of this migration. Anthropolgists began to consider how the Aborignees fitted into the pattern of human migration. As a result, their origins were debated by researchers. Now thabks to DNA studies we know they the Aborigneees like call humanoid definitely originated in Africa. These are the dark-skinned descendents of the early human migration out of Africa at the dawn of the emergen of modern man. Estonian scientists using DNA fractions from both male and female lines have proved that the aborigines are Homo sapiens sapiens and they came from Africa. They replaced, rather than integrated with the lesser humanoids. We are not sure just what lesser humanoids they encounteted. [Hudjashov] Researchers differ on the size of the original migrant population. Some think it was sizeable. Others believe that it was was a realtively small group of isolared bands. Here the researchers are hindered by a lack of fossil material and there is much disagreement in the interpretation of the findings.

Migration Out of Africa

All homonoids originated in Africa. Then something happened (about 150,000 BC). Anthropolgistrs debte just what happened. Theories range from evolutuinary developments to clkimate change. This was a contriversial theory when first proposed (19th century). It is now accepted anthropolical doctrine. Much is still not known beyond what made the migration out of africa possible. Another question was when and how this migration took place. There was for a time a now thorougly disprioved theory that human races develooped separately in different regions. Scientists until recently (2000s) generally believed that this process occurred gradually, presumably through Sinai and than into Asia and Africa. DNA studies, however, tell a different story. There were apparently at least two major waves. It was the firt wave that ultimtely led to the peopleing of Australia (before 50,000 BC). The migratin through Sinai that peopled Asia and Europe occurred much later (after 40,000 BC). Australia's aborigenes or thus a living remanent of the eastern-most movement of man's first foray out of Africa. And rather than moving through Ssnai, the ancestors of the aborignees almost certainly moved east by hugging the shore line. This seems to have occurred relatively rapidly. They followed a route east along the coast of southern Asia, finally arriving in New Guinea and Australia, but never reaching New Zealand. At the time there was a land bridge or at least a very narrow sea gap between what is now Southeast Asia and the Indonesian Archepeligo/New Guinea/Australia (about 40,000-50,000 years ago). [Wells]

Isolation in Australia

These ancestors of the first wave out of Africa no longer exist along the cast of South Asia and Southeast Asia because they were replaced by people descending from the later wave. There is, however, some genetuc traces of the first wave. The strongest is on the Andaman Islands. The Aborignees survived as a people because sea levels rose and the second wave out of Africa which arrived in Southeast Asia much later could not get to Australia. As a result, the original population of Australia are the Aborigines, a stone-age people. The aborignees adapted to the unique Australian environment, but unlike humans in most other areas did not advance out of the stone age. The first Australian aboriginies eventually migrated throughout the Australian continent. It is unclkear why the aborignees neverc advanced iout vif tge stone age, but isolsation is surely onec factor. We note for example that Native Americans also did not advance out of tge stone age, but many did enter the neolithic agricultural revolution, but they were not as isolated as the aborigenees.

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Crerated: 7:41 PM 2/28/2012
Last updated: 7:41 PM 2/28/2012