Through most of the 20th century, paleoanthropologists considered the birthplace of Homo sapiens to be in East Africa. Or maybe South Africa. That's where the oldest fossils were found, of both humans and their ancestors. But 21st century discoveries in Morocco, specifically from a site called Jebel Irhoud, suggest that modern man developed in Northwest Africa. Skulls excavated there date back around 300,000 years, much older than human skulls found elsewhere. But are they Homo sapiens? The facial features are modern, but the brain case is shaped a little differently. However, the same brain case shape is found in skulls from East Africa which were always considered Homo sapiens.
Who was there first? Humans could have traveled across Africa over time. There could have been many human species that interbred in different areas. But we have to acknowledge that the fossil record is scant, considering the geography involved, and just because we haven't found more fossils doesn't mean they aren't there. So at this time, we really don't know where humans evolved. Read about these recent discoveries and the questions they raise at Atlas Obscura.
(Image credit: © Philipp Gunz, MPI EVA Leipzig (License: CC-BY-SA 2.0))