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Into the Unknown

Episode 2 of 5

Following early Homo sapiens's ancestors as they step out of Africa and venture into the wider world, heading into areas inhabited by other human species.

Following early Homo sapiens's ancestors as they step out of Africa and venture into the wider world, heading into areas inhabited by other human species.

Around 60,000 years ago, a small group of Homo sapiens migrated into the Middle East. Recent DNA discoveries reveal that every human alive today whose origins are from outside Africa are descendants of this group. In just a few thousand years, they spread across the globe.

Paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi, visits the rainforests of Sri Lanka and discovers how Homo sapiens became the only human species to make the unforgiving jungle its home, using innovative techniques like hunting monkeys with arrowheads made from monkey bones. On the Indonesian island of Flores, she finds out about another human species, the tiny Homo floresiensis, and asks how our ancestors became the first human species to make the 60,000 mile journey across open ocean to Australia.

Release date:

59 minutes

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Ella Al-Shamahi
Director Ben Wilson
Production Manager Jenni Shaw
Series Producer Matt Barrett
Executive Producer Paul Overton

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