Episode 173: Did Human Life really Start in Africa?

•  Scenario 1:  Lucy was a skeletal remain of a female hominin fossil found in 1974 in Ethiopia, aged at 3.2 million years old. She was most likely tree dwelling and capable of walking upright. Would you consider her to be human based on those capabilities alone?

• Scenario 2: Rohit is a devout researcher who has found that the oldest human fossils are found in regions of Africa, but has heard that some people think other forms of humans might have existed on other continents before the migration out of Africa. Should he be concerned about these new talks, or just stay true to his knowledge?

• Scenario 3: Savelina wants to squash the debate of where Life originated. She was appalled to learn that most sequenced genomes are of European origin, with fewer than 2 percent coming from Africans. She is wondering what is the best way she can prove life started in Africa and that is the end of the story?