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.