In recent years, two studies — Caramelli et al. (2008) and Klyosov & Rozhanski (2012) — have been repeatedly cited in online discussions and memes that claim to “disprove” the widely accepted Out of Africa model of modern human origins. While both works examine human ancestry in different ways, their interpretations and scientific credibility vary greatly. Unfortunately, oversimplified graphics and ideologically driven narratives have turned these studies into tools for misinformation rather than sources for understanding.
Caramelli et al. (2008): Mitochondrial Continuity, Not Total Identity
Caramelli and colleagues analyzed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from a 28,000-year-old Cro-Magnon specimen (Paglicci 23) in southern Italy. Their findings showed that this individual carried a mitochondrial sequence identical to the Cambridge Reference Sequence — a sequence still common in modern Europeans today. This result supports a degree of genetic continuity between Upper Paleolithic Europeans and present-day populations.
However, mtDNA represents only the maternal lineage, a tiny fraction of our total genome. It cannot be used to claim that Cro-Magnons were “genetically identical” to modern Europeans in every respect. Nor does it say anything about other ancestry lines, archaic admixture, or the broader evolutionary context. The study supports some continuity, not a wholesale rejection of African origins.
“Spreading of Homo sapiens” Map
Depicts migration routes of Homo sapiens, Homo neanderthalensis, and Homo erectus across the globe. Created by NordNordWest and released into the public domain—meaning no attribution is required. Ideal for a clean, scholarly visual.
Klyosov & Rozhanski (2012): Controversial and Non-Mainstream
Klyosov and Rozhanski’s work, published in Advances in Anthropology, takes a far more provocative stance, arguing that certain Y-DNA haplogroups point to a non-African origin for modern Europeans. They suggest that Cro-Magnons emerged independently of African Homo sapiens populations. While such claims are attention-grabbing, the methodology — often referred to as “DNA genealogy” — has been criticized for lacking rigor and for ignoring extensive peer-reviewed genetic evidence to the contrary.
This paper has not been widely accepted in the scientific community, and its conclusions are viewed as speculative at best. In practice, its most visible role has been as a citation in pseudoscientific or racialist narratives online.
What Experts Actually Accept
The current consensus, supported by decades of archaeology, paleoanthropology, and genomics, is that Homo sapiens evolved in Africa roughly 200,000–300,000 years ago. Around 60,000–70,000 years ago, some groups migrated out, eventually populating the rest of the world. Along the way, they encountered and interbred with other human species, such as Neanderthals, Denisovans, and as-yet unidentified archaic Africans.
This updated Out of Africa model acknowledges complexity — gene flow between populations, regional adaptations, and partial continuity in certain lineages like mtDNA — but still recognizes Africa as the primary cradle of our species.
Conclusion
Caramelli et al. (2008) offers a valuable, nuanced insight into maternal genetic continuity, while Klyosov & Rozhanski (2012) remains on the fringe of mainstream science. The problem is not with the existence of these studies, but with the way they are often stripped of context and repackaged into tidy, misleading narratives.
The reality is messier and far more interesting: modern humans are the product of a shared African origin, layered with migrations, encounters, and interbreeding events that left traces in all of us. The challenge is not to simplify this story into ideological talking points, but to appreciate the deep, interconnected history it reveals.
