Present-day people outside Africa were thought to descend from a group that left their homeland 60,000 years ago. Now, analysis of nearly 500 human genomes appears to have turned up the weak signal of an earlier migration. But the results suggest this early wave of Homo sapiens all but vanished, so it does not drastically alter prevailing theories of our origins. Read more
An ancient skull discovered in Israel could shed light on the migration of modern humans out of Africa some 60,000 years ago. This migration led to the colonisation of the entire planet by our species, as well as the extinction of other human groups such as the Neanderthals. Read more
Before they left Africa, early modern humans were 'culturally diverse'
Researchers have carried out the biggest ever comparative study of stone tools dating to between 130,000 and 75,000 years ago found in the region between sub-Saharan Africa and Eurasia. They have discovered there are marked differences in the way stone tools were made, reflecting a diversity of cultural traditions. The study has also identified at least four distinct populations, each relatively isolated from each other with their own different cultural characteristics. Read more
The Origins Of Us - Bones: Monday 17th October, BBC Two, 9pm
Anatomist Dr Alice Roberts is the latest person to ask "what makes us who we are?" in this new three-part miniseries from BBC Two, which examines how our bodies have evolved down the millennia. In the opening episode 'Bones', she'll be looking at our skeletons ('Guts' & 'Brains' are due to follow..)
Homo sapiens may have reached India 74,000 yrs ago
Pushing the clock backwards, archaeologists have dug up ancient stone tools in Andhra Pradesh, suggesting arrival and survival of modern human beings in India as early as 74,000 years ago. Read more
Dr Alice Roberts, presenter of the BBC series, The Incredible Human Journey, tracks the ancient migrations that took our ancestors to the corners of the earth, in a free public talk at Bristol University next week
Monday 23 November Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, BS8 1RJ
In the ultimate travel story, Dr Alice Roberts (presenter of Coast and Don't Die Young) from the University of Bristol's Department of Anatomy, crosses the globe to find out how our ancestors colonised the planet. In 'The Incredible Human Journey', a new BBC 2 series airing this Sunday [10 May], she addresses the fundamental question: where do we really come from?