The Naked Ape Revisted

[MaxCathedral]

Okay, so what makes us so different...to go so far from the jungle...

Bipedalism, language, opposable thumb...okay, what else.

What allowed us to go out of Africa?

[Glider]

"Bipedalism, language, opposable thumb...okay, what else."

Geeze...what more do ya want?

Language was a key factor. It allowed the transfer of information between individuals and groups, and the abstraction of ideas (the difference between tool users and tool makers).

What allowed us to move north out of Africa, was the ability to alter our immediate environment (e.g. clothes, shelters, fire etc.), to prevent us freezing to death in winters, which don't happen on the equator.

[aman]

Being omnivorous also helped. We can pretty well find something to eat just about anywhere.
Just aman

[Glider]

Good point.

[Skye]

It was probably all the other people already in Africa that also had pointy sticks.

[phoenix]

MaxCathedral said in post #1 (http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=22396#post22396):
What allowed us to go out of Africa?

Historical contingency is usually quite a winner. If your ancestors hadn't, by accident, got out of Africa, you wouldn't be sitting here asking this question!

Greetz,

Phoenix