Why Did Every Other Human Species Go Extinct

For most of human history, Homo sapiens was not the only human species on Earth. Neanderthals, Denisovans, Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, and other ancient human populations once inhabited different parts of the planet. So why did they disappear while our species survived?
This episode explores one of the biggest mysteries in human evolution. Examine the possible roles of climate change, environmental pressures, population size, disease, competition, technological differences, migration, and genetic exchange.
Discover what happened when Homo sapiens encountered other human populations and why extinction was not always a simple story of violent replacement. Ancient DNA reveals that modern humans inherited genetic material from some of these populations, showing that different human species sometimes interacted and interbred.
Explore the evidence from fossils, archaeology, genetics, and ancient environments to understand why some human lineages disappeared while Homo sapiens became the last surviving human species.
Rather than presenting a single definitive explanation, this episode examines the competing scientific hypotheses and the uncertainties that remain in our understanding of human evolution.
Narrated with a calm, human voice, this episode is perfect for listeners interested in human evolution, prehistoric history, archaeology, anthropology, genetics, science, relaxation, or listening before sleep.