The earliest members of the human species, Homo sapiens, can be traced to [[1]] continent. 

Homo sapiens, the earliest known members of the human species, can be traced back to the African continent. According to fossil evidence, modern humans evolved in Africa between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago.

Several ancient human fossils have been discovered in Africa, including the famous "Lucy" fossil, which is over 3 million years old, as well as more recent fossils from Ethiopian sites such as Omo Kibish, Middle Awash, and Herto. These fossils show the evolution of the early human species and point to Africa as the origin of the human lineage.

Modern humans spread to other parts of the world after evolving in Africa, eventually displacing earlier human species such as Neanderthals in Europe and Asia. 

One of the major events in human evolution is the migration of modern humans from Africa, which is thought to have begun around 60,000 to 70,000 years ago.