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Where was the last place humans made home?

Our species started in Africa, but what was the last habitable landmass we reached? CrowdScience investigates the where, when and how of the human journey to settle the planet.

Our species started in Africa, but what was the last habitable landmass we reached? CrowdScience presenters Marnie Chesterton and Geoff Marsh team up to investigate how and when our species journeyed around the world and settled its most far flung landmasses. Geoff heads to some ancient caves in Israel to investigate the ‘false starts’ humans made out of Africa, and Marnie speaks with Professor Lisa Matisoo-Smith in New Zealand, uncovering the development of Polynesian sailing canoes and how they enabled the last landmasses to be found by people. This is a story spanning over seventy thousand years, huge changes in culture and technology, and the repeated remodelling of the earth thanks to the ice ages.

Produced by Rory Galloway

(Photo: Polynesian canoeists at sunset. Credit: Richmatts/Getty Images)

Available now

30 minutes

Last on

Mon 18 Feb 2019 18:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Fri 15 Feb 2019 20:32GMT
  • Fri 15 Feb 2019 21:32GMT
  • Sun 17 Feb 2019 00:32GMT
  • Mon 18 Feb 2019 05:32GMT
  • Mon 18 Feb 2019 06:32GMT
  • Mon 18 Feb 2019 07:32GMT
  • Mon 18 Feb 2019 11:32GMT
  • Mon 18 Feb 2019 14:32GMT
  • Mon 18 Feb 2019 18:32GMT

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