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Research highlight: Accurate depiction of uncertainty in ancient DNA research: The case of Neandertal ancestry in Africa

An article in the Journal of Social Archaeology looking at how researchers shaped public perceptions of Neandertal DNA heritage in living people.

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Cover page of "Accurate depiction of uncertainty in ancient DNA research"

Citation: John Hawks. Journal of Social Archaeology 21: 179–196 https://doi.org/10.1177/1469605321995616

In this article, I look at the origin of a myth: the notion that African people do not have any Neandertal DNA. I review the history of ancient DNA research on Neandertals and press statements to understand how this myth arose, and what the real scientific evidence showed at the time.

Research by John HawksintrogressionNeandertal DNA
John Hawks

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I'm a paleoanthropologist exploring the world of ancient humans and our fossil relatives.

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