Professor Chris Stringer

It's a pleasure to be with you again.

It's a pleasure to be with you again.

It's a pleasure to be with you again.

It's quite the topic. Yes, it is. It's a topic that's obviously exercised scientists since they were first found. They're not here now. So what happened to them? And did we play a role in their extinction?

It's quite the topic. Yes, it is. It's a topic that's obviously exercised scientists since they were first found. They're not here now. So what happened to them? And did we play a role in their extinction?

It's quite the topic. Yes, it is. It's a topic that's obviously exercised scientists since they were first found. They're not here now. So what happened to them? And did we play a role in their extinction?

Well, yes. So for this time period, if we focus on their last time, let's say between 40 and 60,000 years ago, we've got a lot of Neanderthal sites. We have a lot of them with archaeology. So Neanderthals made characteristic stone tools, which we can recognize. And we know that the Neanderthals spread all the way from Western Europe over to, at times, to Siberia.

Well, yes. So for this time period, if we focus on their last time, let's say between 40 and 60,000 years ago, we've got a lot of Neanderthal sites. We have a lot of them with archaeology. So Neanderthals made characteristic stone tools, which we can recognize. And we know that the Neanderthals spread all the way from Western Europe over to, at times, to Siberia.

Well, yes. So for this time period, if we focus on their last time, let's say between 40 and 60,000 years ago, we've got a lot of Neanderthal sites. We have a lot of them with archaeology. So Neanderthals made characteristic stone tools, which we can recognize. And we know that the Neanderthals spread all the way from Western Europe over to, at times, to Siberia.

So they had a very wide geographic range. That's huge. That's the length of Eurasia. It's a huge area. Absolutely. It's possible they even extended into places like China at times, but that's not so certain. But they had a very wide geographic range. And they have a huge range in time, of course. The Neanderthals are around for hundreds of thousands of years.

So they had a very wide geographic range. That's huge. That's the length of Eurasia. It's a huge area. Absolutely. It's possible they even extended into places like China at times, but that's not so certain. But they had a very wide geographic range. And they have a huge range in time, of course. The Neanderthals are around for hundreds of thousands of years.

So they had a very wide geographic range. That's huge. That's the length of Eurasia. It's a huge area. Absolutely. It's possible they even extended into places like China at times, but that's not so certain. But they had a very wide geographic range. And they have a huge range in time, of course. The Neanderthals are around for hundreds of thousands of years.

Although we think of them as being cold adapted, we think of Neanderthals alongside mammoths and reindeer. They also lived in warmer conditions, so it was often very warm. In places like Europe, we find them alongside elephants and hippopotamuses in Italy 250,000 years ago. So they were wide ranging and quite adaptable in the areas in which they lived.

Although we think of them as being cold adapted, we think of Neanderthals alongside mammoths and reindeer. They also lived in warmer conditions, so it was often very warm. In places like Europe, we find them alongside elephants and hippopotamuses in Italy 250,000 years ago. So they were wide ranging and quite adaptable in the areas in which they lived.

Although we think of them as being cold adapted, we think of Neanderthals alongside mammoths and reindeer. They also lived in warmer conditions, so it was often very warm. In places like Europe, we find them alongside elephants and hippopotamuses in Italy 250,000 years ago. So they were wide ranging and quite adaptable in the areas in which they lived.

And of course, in terms of fossils, the best known ones are from Europe. That's where we have the best evidence. That's where they were first discovered. As we move further east, there are less Neanderthals. We've got good samples from places like Israel, from Iraq. But as we go further east, the actual fossil sample runs out. But we've got DNA, of course, adding to the story now.

And of course, in terms of fossils, the best known ones are from Europe. That's where we have the best evidence. That's where they were first discovered. As we move further east, there are less Neanderthals. We've got good samples from places like Israel, from Iraq. But as we go further east, the actual fossil sample runs out. But we've got DNA, of course, adding to the story now.

And of course, in terms of fossils, the best known ones are from Europe. That's where we have the best evidence. That's where they were first discovered. As we move further east, there are less Neanderthals. We've got good samples from places like Israel, from Iraq. But as we go further east, the actual fossil sample runs out. But we've got DNA, of course, adding to the story now.

Yes. So in 2010, we got the first high-quality reconstruction of a Neanderthal genome. And now we've got several Neanderthal individuals with high-quality genomes from Europe and from Asia. And of course, it's even now possible to get DNA from cave sediments.

Yes. So in 2010, we got the first high-quality reconstruction of a Neanderthal genome. And now we've got several Neanderthal individuals with high-quality genomes from Europe and from Asia. And of course, it's even now possible to get DNA from cave sediments.