CARTA: Archaic Introgression Reveals Human Dispersals with Janet Kelso

Janet Kelso explains how Neandertal and Denisovan DNA in modern human genomes reveals ancient migrations and interbreeding events.

The genome sequences of Neandertals and Denisovans have provided a wealth of new information about the origins, migrations, and interactions of ancient humans. These genomes have revealed that mixture between hominin groups was common: all modern humans outside Africa carry around 2% Neandertal DNA from a single major episode of Neandertal gene flow, while the ancestors of present-day Asians and Oceanians also met and mixed with multiple, genetically distinct Denisovan populations. Archaeological evidence suggests multiple dispersals of modern humans out of Africa, with early fossils identified in East and Southeast Asia over 50 thousand years ago. In contrast, genomic studies indicate that all present-day non-African populations descend primarily from a single dispersal after ~50 ka, though the migration routes of ancestral populations across Eurasia and Oceania remain unclear. Janet Kelso, professor at Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, shows how using the distribution of Neandertal and Denisovan ancestry in ancient and present-day modern humans can determine when, where and how often modern and archaic humans met and mixed. Recorded on 11/07/2025. [12/2025] [Show ID: 41192] Donate to UCTV to support informative & inspiring programming: uctv.tv/donate Learn more about anthropogeny on CARTA's website: carta.anthropogeny.org/ Explore More Science & Technology on UCTV (uctv.tv/science) Science and technology continue to change our lives. University of California scientists are tackling the important questions like climate change, evolution, oceanography, neuroscience and the potential of stem cells. UCTV is the broadcast and online media platform of the University of California, featuring programming from its ten campuses, three national labs and affiliated research institutions. UCTV explores a broad spectrum of subjects for a general audience, including science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities, arts and music, business, education, and agriculture. Launched in January 2000, UCTV embraces the core missions of the University of California -- teaching, research, and public service – by providing quality, in-depth television far beyond the campus borders to inquisitive viewers around the world. (uctv.tv) 0:00 Introduction to human origins 1:24 Out of Africa migrations 2:51 Neanderthal admixture 5:05 Denisovans in Asia 8:48 Complex genetic interaction 10:39 New Denisovan genome analysis 13:06 Independent oceanian ancestry 15:31 Model of asian peopling 17:30 Conclusions and outlook