A new study by British researchers at the University of Cambridge (published in Nature, July 19) proves that all humans originated from a single point in Africa. This is far removed from the primordial soup + time + chance theory that humans evolved from different parts of the world.

The origins of anatomically modern humans have been the focus of much heated debate.

Our genetic research shows that the further modern humans have migrated from Africa, the more genetic diversity has been lost within a population. However, some have used skull data to argue that modern humans originated in multiple spots around the world.

"We have combined our genetic data with new measurements of a large sample of skulls to show definitively that modern humans originated from a single area in sub-Saharan Africa," says Andrea Manica.

Fellow researcher Francois Balloux added: "To test the alternative theory for the origin of modern humans, we tried to find an additional, non-African origin. We found this just did not work. Our findings show that humans originated in a single area in Sub-Saharan Africa." The Garden of Eden perhaps?

– ADRIAN SOBERS