Humans reached Arabia in at least five waves thanks to wetter climates

Humans 1 September 2021

The Jubbah Oasis in northern Saudi Arabia, where humans were repeatedly present during periods of increased rainfall over hundreds of thousands of years

The Nefud desert in northern Saudi Arabia, which humans have inhabited during periods of increased rainfall

Ceri Shipton

Ancient humans repeatedly entered the Arabian peninsula from Africa during the past 400,000 years. A single archaeological site in Saudi Arabia holds evidence of five separate occupations, according to a new study.

A second study suggests that each out-of-Africa migration was made possible by a shift to a wetter climate, creating green corridors. It simulated changes in the region’s climate over the past 300,000 years, and found that there were several periods when conditions …

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