Scientists have long assumed that modern humans evolved in Africa and spread from there throughout the Eastern Hemisphere. The scientists have believed this, because the earliest fossils of early humans were discovered in Africa. However, recent scientific research indicates this assumption may not be accurate. Specifically, one report indicates the anthropoids that lived anciently in Africa may have been migrants to the area rather than being native to the area. Another report suggests that early humans may have colonized Africa instead of evolving there.
Traditional Mormon belief is that Adam lived in the general Missouri area of the US. I am listing this as a parallel, not to suggest that Mormons believe anthropoids and early humans emigrated to Africa from the US, but because of the parallelism that civilization as we know it did not originate in Africa.
I have never felt that the fossil record supported the theory that modern civilization began in Africa. The fact that the oldest fossils of ancient humans were found in Africa only shows that the oldest fossils known so far have been found there. The fossil record does not show that ancient humans originated there.
The fossil record of ancient humans goes back hundreds of thousands of years, while the Biblical record of humans only goes back about 4000 years. Latter-day Saints, who take a traditional or literal view of the Biblical scriptures, have never given a satisfactory explanation of the difference in time between their view and the view of scientists. For this reason (and other reasons) many (perhaps most) scientists do not give much credence to the view of mankind that results from a literal interpretation of the Biblical record. Latter-day Saints who take a broader view of the time-line of mankind, have a belief that is closer to the scientific view. In my essay, Reconciling the Fall of Adam and Evolution, I give my view that Adam was not the first mortal man on the earth but was the first to receive the gospel and to make covenants with God. I don't discuss the geographical domain of Adam and leave that as an open question.
