How special are our Neanderthal genes? A look at archaic introgression.

The human genome contains segments of DNA with non-human origins. This introgressed genetic material is remnants of mating events between early modern humans and their archaic contemporaries (e.g., Neanderthals and Denisovans). In this talk, I will review the evidence for such genetic material, its consequences on phenotypic diversity in modern humans, and discuss if this process - archaic introgression - is typical among other great ape species.