Through extensive technological developments, Svante Pääbo set new rigorous standards in this challenging area and succeeded in obtaining the genome sequence of our closest extinct relative, the Neanderthal. This was followed by his sensational discovery of another extinct hominin, the Denisova, entirely from genome data retrieved from a small finger bone specimen. Svante Pääbo’s work further established that Homo sapiens had mixed with Neanderthals and Denisovans during periods of co-existence, resulting in introgression of archaic DNA in present-day humans. Striking examples of archaic gene variants that influence the physiology of present-day humans have already been demonstrated in a research field that is now highly dynamic. Through his groundbreaking discoveries, Pääbo opened a new window to our evolutionary past, revealing an unexpected complexity in the evolution and ad-mixture of ancient hominins, as well as providing the basis for an improved understanding of genetic features that make us uniquely human.