David Reich — How one small tribe conquered the world 70,000 years ago
Dwarkesh Podcast
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Genetic Lineages Reveal Surprising Connections
Modern genetic research has challenged the traditional understanding of human ancestry. The predominant view posits that modern humans split from the ancestors of Neanderthals and Denisovans around 500 to 750,000 years ago. However, recent findings indicate that the shared mitochondrial sequence—passed down from mother to daughter—suggests a much closer common ancestor, approximately three to four hundred thousand years ago. This discrepancy extends to the Y chromosome, which is inherited through paternal lineage, indicating that our understanding of human evolution is more complex than previously believed, with significant exceptions to the established genealogy.
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