A new study claims that the origin modern humans is Botswana. The study is published in the journal 'Nature'. Researchers the study said they used DNA to find where modern humans came . The researchers believe we all have roots a region of northern Botswana, south of the Zambezi River. Humans were there 200,000 years ago. They lived there for least 70,000 years before they moved the African continent. They then started migrating to what is now Europe and Asia. Researcher Professor Vanessa Hayes, the University of Sydney in Australia, said: "We've known a long time that modern humans originated in Africa roughly 200,000 years ago."
The researchers pinpointed an area called Okavango as being the place we come . There used to be a huge lake there but it is now salt flats. The people had access to water, hunting and farmland. Scientists analyzed DNA samples 200 people who live near the area today. They are the Khoisan people. The Khoisan now live modern-day South Africa and Namibia. They had a lot DNA called L0, which is the oldest form DNA known to be inside humans. Professor Hayes explained why L0 is important. She said: "Every time a new migration occurs, that migration event is recorded our [L0 and] DNA as a time-stamp.... Everyone walking today...comes this region."
