You're Probably Two to Four Percent Neanderthal. And it’s a Compliment

Neanderthals and modern humans lived in the same caves, hunted the same animals, and made nearly identical tools, so why did only one species survive? April Nowell explains what new excavations in Turkey and Israel reveal about two species who overlapped for tens of thousands of years. That 23andMe readout showing a small percentage of Neanderthal DNA traces back to two distinct periods of interbreeding, one around 100,000 years ago and another closer to 50,000 years ago. April Nowell breaks down how those genes ended up in nearly everyone with European or Asian ancestry today. The leading theory for why Neanderthals disappeared isn't climate or intelligence. It comes down to demography: smaller, less connected groups meant even a small rise in infant mortality could wipe out a population within a couple thousand years, a pattern April Nowell connects to how isolated modern life has become. Topics: Neanderthals, human evolution, Paleolithic archaeology, Neanderthal DNA, prehistoric discoveries GUEST: April Nowell | uvic.ca/socialsciences/anthropology/faculty-staff/faulty-profiles/nowell-april.php Originally aired on 2026-07-22