A Swedish scientist who used DNA sequencing to find the link between extinct people and modern humans has been awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine
The winner of the prestigious award was said to be"overwhelmed" and"speechless" and asked for permission to share the"very happy" news with his wife..
Svante Paabo was given what is arguably the most prestigious prize in the scientific world for discoveries"concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution". He received the news"while enjoying a cup of coffee" and was said to be"overwhelmed" - and asked whether he could share the news with his wife.He has been credited with transforming the study of human origins after developing approaches to allow for the examination of DNA sequences from archaeological and palaeontological remains.
His key achievements include sequencing an entire Neanderthal genome to reveal the link between extinct people and modern humans. He also brought to light the existence of a previously unknown human species called the Denisovans, from a 40,000-year-old fragment of a finger bone discovered in Siberia.