Where Did We Come From? Unusual Theories on Human Origins

How did we come to be? This is a question that has long puzzled scientists, scholars, and great thinkers of old. Our origins were not always so clear, and many explanations were given over the ages, some plausible - and others far from the realm of possibility. And even today, in our modern age when science and archaeology answers this question, the general public remains divided on the topic, mixing religious and scientific into a volatile combination. But what about the thinkers that stepped aside from all of it and came up with their own theories of human origins? How did they explain the emergence of humans?

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Human Origins Through the Ages

For a long time the scholarly world tried to pierce the enigma of human evolution. In the distant past, this was ascribed to the gods, in a time when mythology was the explanation for everything. But as the archaic age ended, and we became more scientifically-minded, a real and believable answer was needed. And so the pursuit for the truth began. Today, we think we have reached that truth, as we now trace the modern humans, Homo Sapiens, back to a common ancestor shared with primates. Charles Darwin, one of the greatest scientific minds in history, explained our origins in his theory of evolution, suggesting a gradual development through natural selection - a process that lasted over millions of years. But not everyone was on board with this widely-accepted explanation. And so, many alternative theories emerged, many of which are now labeled as pseudoscience.

Perhaps the most controversial and best-known alternative theory on human origins is the Ancient Astronaut theory. This explanation suggests that extraterrestrial beings visited Earth in the distant past and had a direct role in the emergence of human civilizations and biology. This theory was popularized by authors such as Erich von Däniken in his 1968 book called “Chariots of the Gods?”, and Andrew Thomas in “We are Not the First”.

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Petroglyphs from Val Camonica, Italy; ancient astronauts proponents believe that these figures resemble astronauts. (Luca Giarelli/CC BY-SA 4.0)

The theory suggests that many ancient texts, artifacts, and myths are direct evidence of contact between highly advanced extraterrestrial visitors and early humans. Some sites are deeply connected with this theory, including the Nazca Lines of Peru, the Great Pyramids of Egypt, the Pyramid of Sun in Teotihuacan, and many others.

Finding no logical explanation for the creation of such advanced ancient sites, the proponents of this theory attributed it to lost alien technologies and knowledge from visitors from other planets. According to them, humans either descended from or were genetically modified by extraterrestrial beings. This would explain the sudden major leap in intelligence, cultural complexity, and technological advancements in early human societies.

Today, however, the theory of Ancient Aliens is seen as speculative and pseudo historical. Its proponents are criticized for underestimating our ancestors and their capabilities, and for interpreting archaeological discoveries in a speculative way. But even so, the theory remains popular.

The Aquatic Ape and the Evolution Through Struggle

One of the less known theories on human origins, and certainly one of the more interesting takes on it, is the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis (also known as Waterside Theory), proposed in 1960 by marine biologist Alister Hardy. According to him, the earliest ancestors of humans took a different evolutionary path because they lived near water, in an aquatic habitat. The theory suggests that early primates competed for food in terrestrial habitats, and that our ancestors were forced to forage for food close to water. As a result of this struggle to survive, they evolved in ways that led to the emergence of modern man.

This adult female Western lowland gorilla in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, northern Congo, uses a branch as a walking stick to gauge the water's depth.(See Source/CC BY 2.5)

Hardy argues that many of the distinct characteristics of humans emerged exactly because of this - survival in aquatic areas. For example, he argues that bipedalism evolved to aid walking and wading in shallow water; that waterside life resulted in functional hairlessness; and that we gained a subcutaneous layer of fat that other apes lack, but marine mammals also have. Other evolutionary aspects are the ability to hold breath for long periods, due to diving for food, and the diving reflex we possess.

But even though the theory makes sense in certain aspects, it is still widely refused by other scholars. For the most part, it is considered an umbrella hypothesis, meaning that it tries to explain many evolutionary human traits as a “result of a single adaptive pressure”. What is more, critics note that the theory is not supported by fossil records. But even so, the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis still has its share of supporters, and it remains popular even today.

Lost in the Hollow Earth

But what happens when you combine geology, mythology, and pseudoscience? You get the Hollow Earth Theory. This is an idea that captured human imagination for centuries, and for a time became a very popular concept. The theory states that the Earth is not solid as we now know, but it is actually hollow. In the great space within the earth, it was said that many civilizations thrive and exist, parallel to our own. And it is said that early humans arrived from this “inner earth” or were sent by an advanced race. Was there ever support for this odd idea?

Most scientists were quick to discredit this theory, but there were some that lent air to its wings. For example, there was Edmund Halley, a prominent astronomer from the 17th century who went on board with this idea and said that the Earth could be made from concentric spheres, and thus could house life forms within it. Sometime later, it was the American officer, John Cleves Symmes, who proposed that there were two large entrances into the “inner world” of the earth, placed at the two poles. Needless to say, these entrances were never found.

An example of a concave hollow Earth. Humans live on the interior, with the universe in the center.  (Joshua Cesa/CC BY 3.0)

Nevertheless, the concept of the hollow earth existed for centuries, and many ancient cultures possessed such legends. Some adherents of the theory link it with lost civilizations such as Lemuria or Atlantis and suggest that those who survived the loss of them retreated into the center of the earth. But whatever the case, the theory lacks a scientific basis and is largely dismissed as simply impossible.

Humanzees and Simian-Ancestor Hybrids

The standard evolutionary biology was seriously taken aback with the proposal of a new and provocative theory. Called the Simian-Ancestor Hybrid Hypothesis, and it suggests that early humans didn’t exclusively evolve from a single common ancestor which is shared with other primates. Instead, the theory’s proponents state that humans could be the result of hybridization between different species, and even possibly involving aliens.

According to this view, our own DNA could be the result of a “mix” - between the genetics of ancient primates, and some unknown “alien” genetics. Due to this, our uniqueness and our evolutionary traits that distinguish us are explained. For example, our advanced cognitive abilities, or our high capacity for abstract thought. Comparable to the controversial “ancient aliens” theory, the story of hybridization was present in the scientific world for a long while. Scholars always wondered whether or not human DNA could be combined with that of other primates. Noted experiments include the attempt at creating a “humanzee”, or a human-chimpanzee hybrid. Famed Russian scientist, Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov, pioneered the attempts, and inseminated three female chimpanzees with human sperm, but failed to produce a pregnancy.

Much later, it was reported that the Chinese scientists made the same attempt in 1967, this time with success. According to some sources, these scientists managed to get a female chimpanzee pregnant with human sperm. However, when the chimp was three months pregnant, it died as a consequence of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. What the offspring would be like is unknown, and we can only imagine how a “humanzee” would appear.

Nevertheless, the Simian-Ancestor Hybrid theory is largely refuted by the scientific world. But there are still those adherents looking for a “missing link” in the evolution of humans - finding it in this fringe concept.

Although many have reported witnessing chimpanzee tool use on a level of Stone Age humans, chimps do not actually have this level of ability innately. (Kajenna / Adobe Stock)

Atlantis and the Lost Worlds

The enduring myth of Atlantis has been present in the public eye for centuries, ever since Plato brought its story to light. This highly advanced ancient civilization has been lost under the waves of the ocean, and no one has ever found its remnants ever since. But there is a theory suggesting that human origins can be linked with the existence of such advanced civilizations. According to the Lost Civilizations theory, advanced societies existed long before the first emergence of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, and that their survivors influenced the development of early civilizations that we know. There are those, however, that go even further, and suggest that humans originated right there, in Atlantis or other lost continents.

Could it be that the stories of Atlantis were true all along? Plato heard the story from his own grandfather, who in turn heard it from the famed statesman Solon, some 200 years before Plato wrote. Solon in turn heard the tale from an Ancient Egyptian priest, who claimed that Atlantis sank some 9,000 years before that moment. The tale certainly sounds intriguing, and in it Atlantis is described as highly advanced, even for its time. Could it be that its inhabitants possessed some knowledge that cannot be explained? Could humans have originated there?

Athanasius Kircher's map of Atlantis, placing it in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, from Mundus Subterraneus 1669, published in Amsterdam. The map is oriented with the south at the top. (Public Domain)

Whatever the answer might be, skeptics are aplenty. They discredit these ideas and point out that there really is no evidence for the existence of any lost civilizations that are mentioned. What is needed is archeological evidence and accurate geological data that would determine the existence of a realm beneath the waves. But even so, there are still those who support this theory, and dream of ancient high-tech societies from whence man originated.

Darwin Crying in the Corner

Logic, reason, scientific approach, and the observance of nature are often overlooked, and needlessly so. What people cannot comprehend, they often dismiss altogether, and look for an explanation elsewhere, believing it to be true. Darwin’s theory of evolution is a complex scientific work. It showed us that the nature around us, and we in it, is highly complex, and capable of some truly remarkable and “high tech” things.

Us being here is one of those things. The theory takes us from our distant primate ancestors, across hundreds of thousands of years, we have evolved to be on top of the food chain, with our complex minds and the ability to create. And yet, there are some who think this is not true at all. So what is true then? Are we a product of extraterrestrial genetic engineering? Maybe we are descendants of a lost ancient civilization? Or are we simply ignorant of the full complexities of natural evolution?

Top image: A human origins narrative: the Hollow Earth Theory AI image.  Source: Danicha/Adobe Stock

By Aleksa Vučković