Archaic Genomics—Svante Pääbo Lecture at the ASU Institute of Human Origins

Svante Pääbo, Director of the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, developed techniques that allow DNA sequences from archaeological and paleontological remains to be determined. This has allowed the genomes of extinct organisms and ancient humans, animals, and pathogens to be studied. His research group has determined high-quality genome sequences from Neanderthals and discovered Denisovans, a previously unknown hominin group in Asia. He has shown that both Neanderthals and Denisovans contributed DNA to present-day humans and that these contributions have physiological and medical consequences today. Pääbo also works on the comparative and functional genomics of modern and archaic humans and apes, particularly the evolution of features that may underlie aspects of traits specific to humans. In 2022, he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Pääbo is also an Adjunct Professor at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan.

This talk is part of the ASU Institute of Human Origins 2024 celebration of the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the fossil skeleton Lucy.

[penguinista]

What a pleasure to hear from such a powerhouse. I love how careful he is to lay out the shortcomings in the research and possibilities for error.
All this stuff was "impossible" when he started. A true visionary and groundbreaking scientist. It is hard to believe how humble and soft-spoken he is.

[lauriebowers]

Always so excited when I see a new Svante Paabo lecture on YouTube! I know I will learn something amazing. Thank you Svante Paabo you are an amazing communicator of yours and others research.

[michaelniederer]

Still the best explainer of his work! Bravo!

[humanbridges]

Svante’s Map at 31:24 shows a West -East Neander-Denisovan directional split at Levant. But in Feng et al 2024, Antecessor, found in Spain, is classified as closest to basal of Denisovans. 🌝

[zipperpillow]

From looking at the top of the femur, it seems like Neanderthals might not have been as good at running as modern Humans. And it seems like Neanderthal girls were pretty easy to get with, but died of flu, felt more pain, and had more premature babies, but were protected against AIDS, and had much wider hips. It also looks like they could open their own jars and kill their own spiders. I'd give her a try.

[cacogenicist]

Academic talk introductions are really insufferable. Just get to it.

[chironpl]

I wonder to what extent other, possibly Denisovan, genomes show up in Native American or African American samples. With the history of one-sided racial intermixture in colonial past, many individuals in those communities have some admixture of European DNA, so the presence of Neanderthal DNA would not be entirely surprising. But it would be expected in Y-chromosome rather than mt-DNA

[jan-erikjanson]

The Neanderthal arrears to me female and Homo sapient male.