在1856年發現的尼安德塔人(Neanderthals),是我們最早知道的已滅絕古代人種,之後考古學家又陸續發掘出直立人(
Homo erectus
)、海德堡人(
Homo heidelbergensis
)等化石。這些發現告訴我們,古時候曾經有過多種與我們不同的「人」生存於世。
多地起源或單地起源
一百多年來,很多學者認為世界各地的人類族群,是由各地的古代人種分別演化而成,像是歐洲人來自尼安德塔人、亞洲人源自直立人;各地族群在獨自演化之外,之間又有遺傳交流,最終形成現在的單一人種:智人(
Homo sapiens
)。前述觀點就是所謂的「多地起源論」,與之針鋒相對的是「單地起源論」:現代人只有一個起源,那就是非洲,所有現代人都是當初非洲移民的後裔。
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