This year’s Nobel Prize winner, Svante Paabo, won for his extensive studies and research on the extinct humans, and human ancestors. Svante Paabo is a true pioneer in the studies of the DNA of extinct humans, and human ancestors. 

Natalie Grover, Nikal Pollard and Johan Ahlander say “Paabo, 67, said he thought the call from Sweden was a prank or something to do with his summer house there” (October 3, 2022), Reuters. Svante Paabo was not expecting to get the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. 

 Svante Paabo’s work in extinct human studies is like no other, Yasemin Saplakoglu states. “His remarkable discoveries, which include the identification of a previously unknown variety of human who lived alongside modern humans and Neanderthals tens of thousands of years ago, have had a revolutionary impact on our understanding of human evolution” (October 3, 2022), Quantamagazine. 

The Nobel Prize says “For a long time, studies of human evolution relied on analyses of ancient bone remains, their morphological characteristics and the examination of tools and other archeological artifacts. The first skeletal remains identified as Neanderthal, were found in 1856 in the Neandertal valley in Germany.” Svante Changed how we study and learn about extinct human ancestors. 

Svante Pabbo also discovered an unknown hominin, Denisova. He also discovered the gene transfer from this Denisova to Homo Sapiens occurred following the migration out of Africa over 70,000 years ago. (October 3, 2022) Nobel Prize. 

Svante Paabo’s research has paved a way on the path to finding out more about the human origin and their ancestors.