Discovery of the Fuyan teeth： challenging or complementing the out-of-Africa scenario？

Although it is widely accepted that modem humans （Homo sapiens sapiens） can trace their African origins to 150-200 kilo years ago （kya） （recent African origin model; Henn et al, 2012; Ingman et al, 2000; Poznik et al, 2013; Weaver, 2012）, an alternative model suggests that the diverse populations of our species evolved separately on different continents from archaic human forms （multiregional origin model; Wolpoff et al, 2000;

Evolution of Homo sapiens in Asia: an alternative implication of the “Out-of-Africa” model based on mitochondrial DNA data

Cann et al. have claimed on the basis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data that our direct ancestral Homo sapiens evolved in the African continent and spread to other continents, followed by the total replacement of the indigenous population. Their “Out-of-Africa” model is based on the assumption that mtDNA inheritance is simply maternal. Recent findings suggest the possibility that in between-population, e.g. African and Asian, mating, the African paternal mtDNA was transferred to the egg cell of an Asian together with Y-chromosomal DNA in the human past. Considering that Y-chromos- omal DNA and mtDNA sequences of African origin coexist together with Asian X-chromos- omal and autosomal DNA sequences in a current Asian, the observations by Cann et al. suggest the full/near full replacement of mtDNA in the human past, but do not necessarily imply the total replacement of indigenous populations with African migrants.

Fuyan human of 120–80 kya cannot challenge the Out-of-Africa theory for modern human dispersal

Recently,Liu et al.reported a mass collection of human teeth found in Fuyan cave in Hunan province of southern China,dating back to 120–80 thousand years age(kya)[1].Morphological measurement of these samples indicated that they can be unequivo-

New progress in understanding the origins of modern humans in China

Hypotheses concerning the origins of modern humans have been intensively debated, and two competing models, the recent "Out-of-Africa" and "Multiregional Evolution" paradigms, have dominated research and discussions for decades. Evidence from China has played a fundamental role in this debate: regional continuity and replacement by populations in-migrated from Africa have both been suggested and supported mainly by paleoanthropologists and geneticists, respectively. As more evidence has accumulated, new results obtained, and more scholars from various disciplines become involved, supporters of the recent "Out-of-Africa" model agree more or less with the "Multiregional Evolution" model regarding the complex history of modern humans and their interbreeding with other archaic populations(e.g., Neandertals). Recent discoveries of new human fossils, Paleolithic archaeological materials, and ancient DNA evidence in China have yielded a large body of information regarding the formation and development of modern humans in this region. However, controversies continue, including that most molecular biologists insist on the replacement of archaic populations by modern humans dispersed from Africa, while most paleoanthropologists and archaeologists propose an enhanced "Continuity with Hybridization" model. In this paper, we compile new results and progress in China and present the current debates and issues on the origins of modern humans. Finally, we offer several suggestions for future studies.