Brenna Henn: SUNY Stony Brook

Over twenty-five years ago, geneticists sequenced mitochondrial DNA from a diverse sample of human populations and hypothesized that all humans have a common origin in Africa 200,000 years ago.The broad outlines of this hypothesis remain remarkably unaltered, but many details of our African origin continue to be elusive. After decades of advances in human genetics, we are no longer data limited (either in terms of samples or genomic loci) but there is little consensus on most key issues. I will outline the models underlying the origin of modern humans. For example, was there a single ancestral population or multiple ancestral populations? Additionally, is there a discordance between anatomically modern humans and behaviorally modern humans? I will explore patterns of genetic diversity across Africa, the complex history of southern African KhoeSan groups and adaptations to African environments. I discuss whether genetic data supports archaeological data and suggest directions for future research.