Revisiting Human Evolution: Insights from an Expanded Framework of Evolutionary Processes

Understanding our evolutionary history is a key scientific goal with significant medical, political, and philosophical implications. This endeavor relies on a robust theoretical framework for interpreting evolutionary processes, historically anchored in Darwin's theory of natural selection and Kimura's neutral theory. Traditionally, humans have been viewed as closely related to chimpanzees, with the Recent Out of Africa hypothesis suggesting modern humans originated in Africa. However, these ideas have faced contradictions and have not been fully verified. In recent years, a more comprehensive framework known as the maximum genetic diversity theory has emerged and undergone rigorous testing. This new theory addresses long-standing mysteries, such as the genetic equidistance phenomenon, which earlier theories misinterpreted. Consequently, it has prompted a reexamination of the human evolutionary narrative. New genomic analyses indicate that humans diverged from the pongid clade approximately 18 million years ago, a conclusion supported by various observations. Additionally, this research revisits the Recent Out of East Asia model of modern human origins, first proposed in 1983. Importantly, independent tests have validated these new hypotheses while challenging the prevailing ones. As our understanding of human origins continues to evolve, it will empower us to shape a better future for humanity.