The Mystery of Why Our Ancestors Left Africa

PO1 Tony Holland
..."But others, like de Menocal, remain convinced that “the making of us was fundamentally tied to changes in the environment.” Furthermore, he argues, “owning that as your origin story carries with it this really deep lesson for the future,” particularly as we H. sapiens confront our own, human-induced climate change.

“We’re smart. In our best selves, we’re adaptable to change, and we make smart decisions based on these existential threats that these changes pose to us,” de Menocal says. “Our history is one of adapting to those big changes. So, the larger takeaway on this is that we have to pay attention to the threat.”...