So the theory of evolution is upended again.
For generations, scientists have believed Africa was the cradle of mankind.Now a stunning archaeological discovery suggests our primitive ancestors left Africa to explore the world around 800,000 years earlier than was previously thought before returning to their home continent.
It was there - hundreds of thousands of years later - that they evolved into modern humans and embarked on a second mass migration, researchers say.
Archaeologists have unearthed six ancient skeletons dating back 1.8 million years in the hills of Georgia which threaten to overturn the theory of human evolution.
The Georgian bones - which include incredibly well preserved skulls and teeth - are the earliest humans ever found outside Africa.
I have no comment about the following, other than that people who know me know what I'm thinking.
The remains belong to a race of short early humans with small primitive brains who walked and ran like modern people.
(HT: RD.)
As far as I can tell, this "upends" evolution like the discovery of a new dwarf planet "upends" physics. By which I mean, not at all. You just add a new item to the inventory, and if necessary you tweak your models so that their predictions still match observations. I don't see how the models described by evolution will need much adjustment if we discover that our ancestors went on a little trip two million years ago. Or, more precisely: 1.8 million years ago, some hominids left Africa, and some stayed. Are we descended from the ones who left (and who may have later returned, or maybe not), or from the ones who stayed? I don't see how asking this question "upends" evolution. You're really reaching there.