Comparisons with contemporary humans and chimpanzees proved that Neanderthals were genetically distinct. This is where the chance finding and sequencing of a region of mitochondrial DNA from the 40,000-year-old piece of bone played a crucial part. However, studies of the relationship between present-day humans and the extinct Neanderthals required the sequencing of genomic DNA recovered from archaic specimens. It facilitated studies of the genetic relationship between different human populations. The sequencing of the entire human genome by 2000 gave a fillip to human evolution and population studies. According to present understanding, the Homo sapiens, first appeared in Africa approximately 300,000 years ago, while our closest known relatives, Neanderthals, developed outside Africa and populated Europe and Western Asia from around 400,000 years until 30,000 years ago, at which point they went extinct. Palaeontology and archaeology are important fields of study in human evolution. He began studying the genes from samples of DNA from ancient samples in his quest to find answers to the puzzle of when, where and how human being came to the planet. Interest in human evolution was ignited in a young Paabo from his visits to Egypt and the Sphinx and the Pharaoh’s. The Institute is also collaborating with global research bodies, including the Harvard and Cambridge Universities and some European to trace the antiquity and identity of various population groups. Over the past two decades led by Dr Lalji Singh and Dr K Thangaraj, substantive studies have been done to throw light on the mainland Indians their links to tribes of Andaman and Nicobar to the humans out of Africa using DNA fingerprinting and genome sequencing.

The Laboratory has also set up an Ancient DNA laboratory. In India the interest in the quest for human ancestry has been high with research done by the Hyderabad-based, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology.

Neanderthal man paabo