The Great Migration
A timeline of human dispersal from 70,000 to 10,000 BCE — how Homo sapiens spread across Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Americas.
Out of Africa migration begins
Small groups of Homo sapiens cross from northeast Africa into the Arabian Peninsula, beginning the colonization of the wider world.
Settlement of Australia
Humans reach Australia by watercraft, crossing at least 90 km of open sea — the earliest evidence of deliberate maritime travel.
Interbreeding with Neanderthals
As Homo sapiens enters Europe and western Asia, interbreeding with Neanderthals leaves a lasting genetic legacy — 1-4% of the DNA of non-African populations today.
Humans colonize Europe
Modern humans spread across Europe, coexisting with Neanderthals for several thousand years before the latter's extinction.
Cave art in Europe
The stunning cave paintings at Chauvet, Lascaux, and Altamira are created — among humanity's greatest artistic achievements.
Humans reach East Asia
Modern humans are firmly established across China, Southeast Asia, and the Japanese archipelago.
Extinction of Neanderthals
The last Neanderthal populations disappear from southern Europe, leaving Homo sapiens as the sole surviving human species.
Last Glacial Maximum
Ice sheets reach their greatest extent, covering much of North America and northern Europe. Sea levels drop by over 120 meters, exposing land bridges.
Humans enter the Americas
The first humans reach the Americas, likely via the Bering land bridge and possibly coastal routes along the Pacific.
End of the last Ice Age
Temperatures rise rapidly, glaciers retreat, and new environments open up across the northern hemisphere — setting the stage for agriculture.