The Journey of Man, presented by Dr. Spencer Wells, is a very important documentary film that sends out a message of human solidarity. As Dr. Wells says in the introduction, it is the retracing of the all routes of human migration out of Africa in the last 50,000 years. It is a fascinating story constructed on a grand timescale. The drama and significance of this story lies in the high stakes involved for those early humans who ventured into alien territories. There are several facets and themes to the documentary film. But the most striking and profound is that of human solidarity amidst diversity. This essay will expound on this thesis.
In this most compelling story of natural history, the pivotal moment was the great Ice Age that set in 50 thousand years ago. Up until this point, the entire human population (technically of the species Homo sapiens) were confined to just the African continent. This is understandable, for most of the early hominids evolved in this landmass, with the evolution of our species being a natural progression. With the onset of the Ice Age, the rich and diverse ecology of central and southern Africa began to change. With the substantial drop in temperatures, the erstwhile green and fertile regions began to dry up. The early human populations that depended on this ecosystem for survival faced drought like conditions. To illustrate the depth of the problem, the sea-shore caves of South Africa, which were used as shelter by primitive people, became ever more distant from the shore line – nearly 40 kilometers at the peak of the Ice Age. Such radical changes to the ecology forced people to move toward he north-east of the continent, where the climate was somewhat more temperate. And this crisis for survival is perhaps the most important event in anthropology. For, without it, Homo sapiens might not have ever left Africa. In consequence, the richness, diversity and reach of human species might have been limited.
There are many interesting subplots within the epic narrative of Journey of Man. What each of these subplots tells us is that there is a shared sense of adventure and enterprise inherent in our species. To begin with, the populating of the Australian continent was a tantalizing story of adventure and chance. Scientists were first confounded by the 6000 mile of ocean that separated the East African coast from the nearest shore in Australia. Later it came to light that the radically new geological conditions created by the Ice Age provided an easy passage wherever the sea had receded. In geological timescales, usually populations within a species only gradually expand their habitat. But the speed with which our species moved out of Africa was unprecedented in the history of evolution. This is underscored by the astounding fact that in Australia there was not even a single primate species when humans arrived there. Likewise the crossing of the arctic inhabiting Chikchu people into the New World is another historical achievement of our species. The Americans who are newly native to this expansive continent nearly covered its entire breadth and width in less than a millennia of its advent. Instances such as these highlight how all groups within our species shared the same spirit of adventure and tenacity for survival. It is these qualities that unites us as humans and makes us the most intelligent and successful species on the planet.
Another interesting information presented in the documentary is how modern Europeans took a complex migratory route to arrive at Western Europe. The lore of the Cro-Magnon man is very prescient to the mind as they conquered the temperate and cold climes of Europe with a physiology that was ill suited to these conditions. In other words, the early inhabitants of Europe were dark skinned people, who quickly acquired a paler complexion. They were also very imaginative and creative in finding the means to adapt and survive in conditions that are alien to those found in the Central Asian steppes and plains (from which they arrived).
Hence, in conclusion, the central message through the documentary is common humanity of all of us even amid apparent diversity. The utilization of genetic chromosome markers in identifying the migratory trail provides solid proof for Spencer Wells’ hypothesis. Be it the aborigines of Australia, the indigenous populations of Madurai in Southern India, the Bushmen tribes of South Africa or the Chikchu of the Siberian extremity, we all share nearly the same genetic makeup. The differences among us are only a matter of minor genetic differences. We all share the same instinct for survival. We also share the inclination for adventure, discovery, creativity and adaptation. It is these shared features that accounts for the continued success of our species. Today we’ve not only occupied all corners of the planet but have even put men on the Moon. So the Journey of Man is both a historical reality and a metaphorical continuity.