Neandertals
Neandertal populations existed in the western part of Eurasia between 500,000 and around 40,000 years ago. They are among the best known fossil relatives of humans, and DNA evidence shows that some Neandertals were among the ancestors of people today.
A mid-century observer wrote about hybridization and Neandertals
A quote from Loren Eiseley, one of the best known writers about anthropology and human origins.
How will ancient proteins change paleoanthropology?
Paleoproteomic methods may provide exciting avenues toward understanding pieces of fossils and their relationships.
Lecture: Who were the ancestors of the Neandertals?
Looking at what we know about Neandertal origins and how our understanding has changed in the last decade.
Should we be surprised if Neandertals, Denisovans, and modern humans didn’t form stable hybrid zones?
A geneticist asks why we don't see more persisting hybrid populations, and I find an answer in the theory of population source-sink dynamics.
Neandertals built a circle out of stalagmites deep underground. What does it mean?
Examining the work of Jacques Joubert and coworkers that describes this mysterious structure and the possible intention behind it.
How much sex did it take for Neandertal DNA to enter modern populations?
Addressing a widespread misconception about what geneticists are really measuring when they look at population mixture.
What is the ‘braided stream’ analogy for human evolution?
A discussion of the way that reticulation has manifested across human evolution, with reference to an essay by Clive Finlayson.
A modern look at pollen from Shanidar and the question of "flower burials"
Work by Marta Fiacconi and Chris Hunt provides new knowledge of the ways that pollen may have entered the Neandertal site.
The Manot 1 skull and how we now look at Neandertal ancestry in early modern humans
The discovery of a 54,000-year-old skull in Israel sheds light on the dispersal of modern humans and their contacts with Neandertals.
Becoming human: Presentation on Mount Carmel sites and cultural origins
A visit to Israel occasions reflections on the cultural evolution of humans and Neandertals.
