The Great Human Odyssey

HModern man, omo sapiens has existed on Earth for about 200,000 years (although a new find in Morocco now dates the species back to roughly 300,000 years). While humans look different, under the skin our DNA varies only slightly. How did humankind spread from the first homeland—most likely in East Africa's Great Rift Valley—to become a geographically wide-ranging population of over 7 billion people? In this PBS-aired NOVA documentary, writer-director-anthropologist Niobe Thompson traces the epic human trek into often inhospitable environments. The earliest predecessors of Homo sapiens were primitive and had smaller brains, but humans were able to expand the brain's capacity by tapping food sources and following migrating animal herds. The documentary shows how humans gradually evolved from small groups of hunter gatherers, who banded together for mutual preservation, protecting each other from the deadly four-legged predators that prowled the same hunting grounds and watering holes. When the climate turned hostile, humans were able to adapt, creating clothing, or in the case of residents of the arid Kalahari Desert, conserving water by storing it in large ostrich egg shells. Primitive stone tools were used in the development of "projectile technology," which gave humans an added edge when hunting dangerous wild animals. When food sources became more plentiful, life became stable, leading to the creation of primitive art and music, which helped humans remember their past, plan for the present, and imagine the future. The extinction of the Neanderthals is also considered, as well as the populating of the Americas and far flung islands of the Pacific. Presented with NOVA's customary flair for blending interesting narrative with first-rate production values, this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)