Researchers have discovered DNA evidence that will now determine which exact route that early human ancestors have taken to migrate from Africa into Europe and Asia.
Apparently, evidence points to the ancient migration towards a northern route via Egypt as opposed to an exodus from southern Ethiopia.
Researchers revealed from genetic data analysis from six modern day Northeastern African populations that human ancestors passed through Egypt and Sinai via a route known as Levantine Corridor that passes through the Middle East.
According to lead author of the study, Luca Pagani from the University of Cambridge and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, modern Egyptians are also more similar to Eurasians who are not Africans compared to Ethiopians where this suggests that the final stop in Africa before venturing out of the continent.
He says that this exciting discovery unravels a hidden episode in the history of all Eurasians where this can better improve the understanding of the evolutionary history of billions. This DNA can also now be studied via modern genetic technology to understand crucial ancient events from 60,000 years ago.
The exact date of the migration is brought to an approximation where prior research and genetic data have already implied that early humans have already branched out from Africa as early as 130,000 years ago.
According to Toomas Kivisild from Cambridge's Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, although these results do not solve the issues regarding the timing and complexities that have driven the exodus out of Africa, this study pinpoints the route of the main migration pattern from Africa that has taken a northern route as opposed to a southern one.
These findings are also similar with other research data that reveal the genetic similarities of all non-Africans and Neanderthals that are living at the Levantine Corridor during that period.
This study is published in the American Journal of Human Genetics.