A recent study highlighted the evolutionary connection between neanderthals and early Homo sapiens, revealing they interbred only 47,000 years ago, earlier than previously thought. Johannes Krause, an archaeogeneticist, discusses the complications of linking scientific research to immediate societal needs, particularly in light of funding threats faced by scientists. The need for understanding human origins drives curiosity about our evolutionary path, emphasizing the importance of continued scientific inquiry beyond just immediate practical applications.
Whenever science has to defend itself from the skeptics, it tends to fall back on medical or other technological achievements that have improved our lives.
Figuring out what made us so special requires figuring out exactly when we distinguished ourselves from our other upright, walking cousins.
Basically all of humanity is descended from people who left Africa and mixed with Neanderthals—but when?
We're really driven by finding out new stuff, trying to understand, in our case, where humans came from—What's their kind of evolutionary.
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