Why did we migrate? If not for the human migration from Africa, all humans would look the same. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors spread out everywhere on the globe, giving rise to a huge diversity of races, cultures and people. But what pushed us to move out?

Recent research suggest that a genetic mutation may have been partially responsible for this movement. Modern humans arose about 180,000 years ago. And for almost 100,000 of those years, we stagnated around bodies of water in Central Africa. Our ancestors developed a mutation that allowed them to convert medium chain plant-based Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) into long chain Brain PUFAs that were vital for brain growth and function.

Prior to that, the humans needed to stay closer to water bodies in order to get shellfish and fish, which had the long chain PUFA necessary for complex brain function. Due to the mutation, the humans could diversify their PUFA sources, even to those that existed far away from water. This would have been useful for the Great Expansion.

So, if you ever again wonder why we're so diverse, you can thank this tiny little mutation!

Read all about it! http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120919190100.htm

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