Are We the Last Neanderthals?

Neanderthals fascinate us: so much like us, yet not quite us. We have long known that they overlapped with modern humans in prehistoric Europe, but recent genetic evidence suggests widespread interbreeding of the two groups. University of Wisconsin biological anthropologist John Hawks is at the forefront of this species-shaking research. He presents the latest findings from the lab and field and discusses what may or may not make us uniquely human.
This program is presented in partnership with the Center for the Humanities and the Institute for Research in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Video produced by Pentimenti Productions.
This program was recorded on November 2, 2013 as part of the 24th Chicago Humanities Festival, ANIMAL: chf.to/2013Animal

[@yogi2.057]

A fine presentation on the subject. The DNA of the average person with European ancestry has been shown, thus far, to have 280 Neanderthal variants (mutations/deviations) within chromosomes 1-22. A high of 381 variants in one person has been discovered thus far in genome analyses as of 1/2017.

[@noelahowerton3197]

They are going to find that the DOG was what gave us the edge.

[@eddieking2976]

Seldom do you get someone with this level of knowledge who can articulate it so well. Well done.

[@theskip1]

problem with you tube is half the poeple who coment dont really understand what is being said and the other half think they know better.

[@DasIllu]

neaderthals werent dump. they were an expression of their time. as are we. we shall not judge for in the end, i think the outcome will be the same

[@johnhowe50]

Thank you for mentioning Albert Wallace, a forgotten man but a hero of mine.

[@jackrabbit4907]

they could have also used skulls instead of pots to cook their grains.You have fairly large cavities in the skulls of the large animals they were hunting.

[@konic40]

artistic, buried their dead, cooked, were able to breed with "modern" humans. just a set of native people

[@jerryoconnor6265]

Fabulous insightful presentation.

[@MsJacks90]

Glad I could help you out with your presentation. Very sharp guy!

[@eeros4192]

Very good lecture. Many thanks!

[@paulscape72]

Be good if he compared Neanderthal to archaic homo sapiens, discussed ice age movements and the changing dynamics of plants and animals in relation to the ice ages. Instead Neanderthals are usually compared with modern humans and with little geographical or ecological context.

[@mfhmonkey]

This is a very informative video. I haven't watched a video this good on youtube in a very long time. Thanks.

[@bethbartlett5692]

A very comfortable and effective speaker - as most of us know, having the knowledge is most often not the symbol of relaying or sharing it with audience appeal.

[@pawelkrol6547]

Excellent presentation! Thank you for sharing!

[@JimJWalker]

You sir are as genuinely humorous as your are informed. Great presentation!

[@ilbarhai]

excellent and so interesting!

[@jagaruna5712]

He is a good speaker. Clear and concise

[@trespire]

Highly informative, one of the best presented lectures I have ever had the pleasure to listen to.

[@juncedan]

The question is there, but not everybody answers it the same way. If you watch Dr Alice Roberts' BBC documentary, she does not believe in interbreeding, however in this presentation it is assumed. And this brings mi question, if anybody cares to answer: If both species interbred, then we are not either Homo Sapiens, ("only" 97%) nor Neanderthal (at "just" 3%), Would that make us a different species from both, or more like dog breeds, both of them were canis familiaris and we are all as different and similar as German Shepherds and Pyrinees Mastiffs?