The world’s first and oldest humans: The Khoisan people of Southern Africa

The Khoisan people of Southern Africa are an ancient ethnic group with a long and interesting history. The Khoisan history tells us that there is no ‘race’ in Human history. This is because of the belief that they’re the earliest humans, and that every human emanated from them. Fascinating right?
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The Khoisan people of southern Africa have been recognised as one of the earliest formed distinct human genetic groups for several years now, but new research appears to peg them as the earliest split from the main human family tree so far discovered.

The Khoisan is a collective term to refer to the various hunter-gatherer indigenous tribes of Southern Africa. The two evolutionarily related but culturally distinct groups that make up the Khoisans are the Khoikhoi and san people, and they have occupied southern Africa for up to 140,000 years.
The ancient origins, anatomical and genetic distinctiveness of southern African San and Khoikhoi people are matters of confusion and debate. They are variously described as the world’s first or oldest people; Africa’s first or oldest people, or the first people of South Africa. Their first-people status is due to the fact that they commonly retain genetic elements of the most ancient Homo sapiens. This conclusion is based on evidence from specific types of DNA.

While Homo sapiens evolved roughly 200,000 years ago, it appears that the Khoisan people branched off and went their separate way around 100,000 years ago, according to research. That divergence, comes far earlier than the human migration out of Africa, and also predates the migration into the area of other early human branches such as the Bantu or Pygmies who now live in the surrounding regions.
The geneticists, led by Carina M Schlebusch from Uppsala University, analysed around 2.3 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from a sample of 220 southern Africans from 11 ethnic groups for genetic variations. The result was a noticeable split between the group who we now know as the Khoisan and the rest of humanity dating back 100,000 years.

The Khoisan live mainly in southern Africa, with their own distinct cultures, lifestyles and physical characteristics compared to the Bantu ethnic groups that surround them. The Khoisan are largely divided into two groups: foragers, that is ‘those who pick things up from the ground to eat’ and keepers of livestock, and their languages include distinctive click noises that aren't found in the languages of their neighbours. Any reasons why the split occurred are unknown. It is however likely that the harsh, dry climate and geography of Africa during that era played a part in forcing communities into isolation from one another.

The San are ingenious at living off the land, finding water where no one else can, and deriving food and medicine from over 1,000 different plants. The Hoodia gordonii cactus, which the San use for hunger suppression and quick energy, is now being used in contemporary weight loss drugs. Today, the Khoisan struggle to maintain their traditional way of existence, and are currently witnessing the end of their hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Though it’s sad seeing them loose their traditional way of life. Do you think it’s for the better? Kindly share what your views in the comment section.

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