The demographic and adaptive history of mankind read by genetics

The seminar presented by Lluis Quintana Murci (Institut Pasteur, Paris) highlighted the contributions of population genetics and modern genomics to our understanding of recent human evolution, particularly in Africa. The adaptive response to pathogens is a powerful driver of natural selection. The introgression of Neanderthal genetic material into the genome of modern populations from Africa has played an important role in the immune adaptation of these immigrant populations to their new environment.