Human evolution: savannah theory fading (Introduction)

by dhw, Thursday, February 27, 2025, 09:15 (7 days ago) @ David Turell

Human evolution: savannah theory fading

More research on tropical forest living:
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/humans-african-rainforests-evolution

QUOTES: "Humans lived under the leafy canopy of a West African rainforest by at least 150,000 years ago."
“The new findings also strengthen an argument that H. sapiens evolved roughly 300,000 years ago via mating among populations based in different African regions and habitats, including West Africa’s rainforests. Even around 150,000 years ago, “when these groups coalesced, their exchanges shaped the course of our evolution and likely contributed to the success of our species,” Scerri says."

DAVID: the sapiens brain allowed them to adapt to any climate with cunning ways to survive.

Probably my fault, but I find all this a bit confusing. Does “humans” in the first quote mean different homos or just sapiens? The second quote suggests mating between different forms of humans led eventually to sapiens, and rainforests were only one type of habitat where they mixed. I don’t know how this solves the problem of sapiens’ origin. Or why it should disqualify the savannah theory. Maybe sapiens originated in the savannah and spread his seed in other environments, including back in the trees from which he descended. But I’m only asking for clarification of the statements made in this article. Did sapiens evolve from different homos mating, or did “readymade” sapiens mate with different homos?