Mattias Jakobsson was featured on Swedish Radio’s morning program (Förmiddag i P1) today, 29 Sept 2026.
His conversation with Nicke Nordmark, the program leader, is available at: https://www.sverigesradio.se/avsnitt/manniskans-okanda-ursprung (in Swedish).
They talked about Homo Sapiens, Neanderthals, and Denisovans and their coexistence; the unknown DNA in our genes; and the possibility that humans as we know them today might become something new in the distant future.
Searching for sapiens-specific evolution Mattias Jakobsson receives new funding from the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet, VR) to “develop a statistical, machine-learning–based framework that jointly analyses genomes from archaic humans, ancient southern Africans, and present-day populations.” In the next four years, the project expects to identify genomic regions and biological pathways that evolved rapidly during the…
Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ) is an independent foundation that supports research in the humanities and social sciences essential to understanding and addressing society’s current challenges, both nationally and globally. Through its funding, the foundation aims to promote basic research of the highest scientific quality. It also responds to the need for long-term, stable research funding. This…
Sequeira, J. J., Kumar, L., van Driem, G., Thangaraj, K., & Mustak, M. S. (2026). Complex maternal genetic landscape in the Koṅkaṇī population of India. Heredity, 1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41437-026-00896-9 A new genetic study sheds light on the maternal ancestry and historical demographic dynamics of the Konkani population along the southwest coast of India. The research…