Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind · chapter 1 · id sapiens-c1-02-a-sudden-cognitive-revolution-
“A sudden Cognitive Revolution approximately 70,000 years ago transformed Sapiens' capabilities, possibly due to a genetic mutation affecting brain wiring.”
CONTESTEDconfidence: high⚠ extracted by pipeline, re-audit pending
Receipts
McBrearty & Brooks (2000), Journal of Human Evolution 39(5):453-563DOI registry: valid
The archaeological record does not support a single revolutionary event. Modern behavioral traits appear sporadically across Africa from 300+ ka in a mosaic pattern.
Scerri et al. (2018), Trends in Ecology & Evolution 33(8):582-594DOI registry: valid
Did our species evolve in subdivided populations across Africa? Proposes a pan-African multiregional origin with no single 'switch' moment for behavioral modernity.
Henshilwood & Marean (2003), Current Anthropology 44(5):627-651DOI registry: valid
The evidence supports a gradual, not revolutionary, emergence of modern human behavior in Africa, with different traits appearing at different times and places.
This claim is a stable, citable object. If you can falsify a verdict, tell us. Corrections are loud here.