Modern Archaeology: What ancient genes tell us about who we are

The archaeologists Katerina Douka and Tom Higham examine ancient fragments and bones to better understand how humans evolved. 50,000 years ago, we shared this planet with different human species, among them Neanderthals, Homo floresiensis, Homo luzonesis and the Denisovans. In her research, Katerina Douka and Tom Higham want to find out why they disappeared from Earth – Homo sapiens thus being the only remaining human species. "We now know that Homo sapiens has interbred with all these archaic species", says Douka und Higham adds, "Now the big question is: What happened exactly when they met?".

In the video, the two archaeologists explain how they are going to find the answer to this question and why there is a direct link between who we were 50,000 years ago and who we are today.

00:00 Intro
00:20 Your research in 10 seconds?
00:32 Why are we the only humans left?
00:58 What relevance does your research have for us today?
01:40 How do ancient genes affect our lives today?
02:47 New research methods: Is history now beeing rewritten?
03:16 Outro

[humansubspecies]

This is hilarious. I like you guys - Tom with his 1980s classic punk rock band look, like something straight out of the Boomtown Rats era, and Katerina with that Bauhaus Goth look.

But Katerina, we know that Neanderthals had gene alleles for light-skin. We also know that modern Europeans have up to 6% Neanderthal DNA. Umm, excuse me professor, but Neanderthals admixed with Euros 45k to 60k years ago. Doesn't it follow that those hybrids would likely have lighter-toned skin? So, how can you say it's only recent that Euros have had light skin tones?

[Name-ewmh]

I just received my genetic sequence and it predates the Eve gene and people… Could you explain why Eve is the mother, yet I have 5 unknown genetic species prior to The L, LO Eve…

It goes like this:

ROOT-HD-DN-MN-NA-L-LO(Eve).

[humansubspecies]

Excuse me Tom, Katerina, but you kind of contradict yourselves in this video. On one hand you suggest that modern human variations are no big deal, Katerina - "well, whiteness in white people is relatively recent, blah blah blah..." And then not a minute later Tom talks about the massive diversity of southeast Asians and Melanesians because of their Denisovan DNA. Y'all can't have it both ways. Seems like you celebrate southeast Asians and Melanesians whilst denigrating Europeans and Euro ethnics. And you wonder why so many people these days are rejecting woke.