Archive:Hybrid-origin

The Hybrid-origin hypothesis of human origins argues that all of the genetic variation between the contemporary human races is attributable to genetic inheritance from two widely divergent hominid species, or subspecies, that were geographically dispersed throughout Africa, Asia and possibly the Indian sub-continent, prior to the evolution of modern Homo sapien sapien (according to hybrid origin theory, approximatly 40,000 years ago).

Candidate populations put forward by the hybrid-origin theory as sources for genetic admixture include Neandertal man and Peking Man (both local subspecies of Homo erectus), and Cro-magnon(who physically, widely differs from homo erectus). This theory was first introduced in 1971 by the british psychologist Stan Gooch.

This view opposes the single-origin hypothesis, and partly agrees with the multiregion_origin. Single origin states that modern Homo sapien sapiens evolved from a single, localised, ancestral hominid population, whose descendants replaced all other species of hominids over the course of millions of years without interbreeding, and whilst supporters of the multiregionalism theory argue that interbreeding indeed occurred, the time frame they use for divergence between two species to occur is far too small to account for the differences we find. The hybrid origin theory claims both species were seperated by millions of years and thousands of miles, under completely different environmental pressures, to explain the complete physical and cultural difference of Cro-magnon to Homo Erectus and its relations. The resulting hybrid Homo sapien sapien, was superior to both its ancestors due to what is termed hybrid vigour.