A single ‘Garden of Eden’ location where humans are believed to have originated has been discovered in Africa.

DNA analysis has identified the “cradle of mankind” for our ancient ancestors was in Botswana in the middle of the south of the continent.

The area, which is now dominated by desert, was then abundant wetlands. Experts had previously thought our species evolved all over Africa.

Our ancient ancestors originated just south of the Zambezi River once home to an enormous lake similar in size to England, called Lake Makgadikgadi.

The lake stretched all the way from Namibia, across Botswana and into Zimbabwe. As it began to break-up a vast wetland was created providing a lush home abundant with plants and trees for our earliest relatives.

It was here early humans thrived for 70,000 years until the climate changed and they were forced to leave Africa to populate the rest of the planet.

Vanessa Hayes, of Sydney University, said: “It has been clear for some time anatomically modern humans appeared in Africa roughly 200,000 years ago.

Modern humans originated from a so-called “Garden of Eden” situated to the south of the Zambezi River in Botswana, scientists have discovered.

In a major new study of DNA, understood to be the first of its kind, researchers “traced back the maternal genetic lineage of anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens)” and found it “most closely resembles people living in a small area of southern Africa”, The Telegraph reports. 

For decades, scientists had thought that modern humans had developed all over Africa. “This [study] enabled us to pinpoint the ancestral homeland of all humans. It is the first time the exact location has been identified,” the authors said.