Genetic Study Reveals Australia’s First Human Arrival at 60,000 Years

A groundbreaking genetic study has confirmed that modern humans first arrived in Australia approximately 60,000 years ago. This research, published in Science Advances, aligns with both archaeological findings and traditional Aboriginal oral histories, which suggest a longstanding human presence on the continent far earlier than some previous genetic models indicated.

The study involved an analysis of nearly 2,500 ancient and modern genomes from various communities across Australia, New Guinea, and the broader Pacific region. The results not only clarify when humans made their way to Australia but also how they managed this significant journey. The research identified two distinct migration routes into the ancient supercontinent known as Sahul.

Two Migration Routes into Sahul

The genetic analysis revealed that the earliest ancestors of Aboriginal Australians and New Guineans took two separate paths to reach Sahul. One group travelled south through the Indonesian islands towards northern Australia, while another group navigated through a northern corridor, likely passing through the Philippines before arriving in New Guinea. These findings corroborate previous oceanographic and archaeological models that have long suggested multiple viable entry points into Sahul.

Both groups were part of a larger population that migrated out of Africa between 70,000 and 80,000 years ago. Researchers believe that the ancestors of Australians and New Guineans split somewhere in South or Southeast Asia thousands of years before moving eastward. The genetic data indicates that these populations carry some of the oldest continuous human lineages found outside Africa.

Migration Influenced by Environmental Factors

The findings underscore that early humans reached Sahul no sooner than 60,000 years ago and did so using watercraft. During this period, Sahul was never completely connected to mainland Asia; significant ocean crossings were necessary even at the lowest sea levels of the Pleistocene epoch. The study also suggests that migration into Near Oceania, including the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands, likely occurred around the same time, indicating continuous movement and interaction rather than isolated settlement.

For decades, researchers debated whether Australia was settled between 47,000 and 51,000 years ago or as early as 65,000 years ago. The new genetic timeline strongly supports the earlier date, providing one of the most precise reconstructions of when humans arrived and how they spread across Sahul. This research also narrows the broader timeline for humanity’s dispersal from Africa, indicating a major migration event between 50,000 and 70,000 years ago.

The results of this study confirm what many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have always asserted: their connection to Country extends back at least 60,000 years. Researchers emphasize that these findings not only enhance the scientific timeline but also highlight the advanced seafaring knowledge required for these early migrations. Together with archaeological and climate evidence, this large-scale genetic analysis offers the clearest picture of one of humanity’s greatest migrations—the moment our species first reached the vast lands of ancient Australia.