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Hacker News front pageHelen Wickstead4 min readintro

'Neanderthals Among Us' review

Read on historytoday.comHN 81·80 comments

Summary

Helen Wickstead reviews Peter Sahlins’s *Neanderthals Among Us*, which chronicles the scientific and cultural history of Neanderthals from their 1856 discovery to modern DNA insights. The book shows how stereotypes evolved and warns against genetic determinism, noting recent findings that interbreeding was mainly Neanderthal male × human female.

  • The book traces Neanderthal representation from 19th‑century scientific racism to modern DNA findings.
  • Ancient DNA work shows ~2 % Neanderthal ancestry in most people and recent 2026 evidence points to male‑Neanderthal × female‑human interbreeding.
  • Popular depictions of Neanderthals have been shaped by racial and political rhetoric, with a usage spike during Trump campaigns.
  • Post‑WWII discoveries like the Shanidar burial shifted the view of Neanderthals from brutish to caring hominins.

Anyone interested in how scientific narratives and popular culture shape perceptions of human evolution should read this.

4/10
culturehistorygeneticsanthropology

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