Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

179 | David Reich on Genetics and Ancient Humanity

Jan 10, 2022

David Reich, a genetics professor at Harvard Medical School and a leader in paleogenomics, discusses the surprising complexity of human ancestry. He explains how genetic data reveals constant population changes, including interactions with Neanderthals and ghost populations that no longer exist. Reich dives into the impact of ancient cultures like the Yamnaya on modern Europe and explores the intricate ties between human migrations and language evolution. This fascinating conversation highlights how DNA is reshaping our understanding of who we are as a species.

01:13:20

Episode guests

David Reich

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Is there a Scaling Factor?

00:21

Intro

5min

Unveiling Ancestry Through Ancient DNA

11min

Exploring Human Ancestry and Species Classification

6min

The Genetic Tapestry of Humanity

18min

Unveiling Ghost Populations: Insights from Genetics

3min

The Yamnaya Impact on Europe

9min

Exploring Ancient Migrations and Language Evolution

5min

Unraveling Austronesian History

20min

Human beings like to divide themselves into groups, and then cooperate, socialize, and reproduce with members of their own group. But they’re not very absolutist about it; groups tend to gradually (or suddenly) intermingle, as people explore, intermarry, or conquer each other. David Reich has pioneered the use of genetic data in uncovering the history of ancient humanity: what groups existed where and when, and how they interacted. The result is a picture of churning populations in constant flux, including “ghost populations” that no longer exist today.

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David Reich received his Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Oxford. He is currently a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School. Among his awards are the Dan David Prize, the National Academy of Sciences Award in Molecular Biology, the Wiley Prize, the Darwin-Wallace Medal, and the Massry Prize. He is the author of Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past.

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