Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
A research institute of the Max Planck Society focused on human origins and uniqueness.
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyEstablished in 1997 and located in Leipzig, Germany, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI EVA) is part of Germany's leading basic-research organization. The institute conducts multidisciplinary research across paleoanthropology, ancient genetics, comparative cognition, linguistics, and human behavioral ecology, often integrating studies of both humans and great apes.
The institute is internationally recognized for landmark discoveries in ancient DNA, including the identification of the Denisovans and the sequencing of the full Neanderthal genome. This work was led by Svante Pääbo, who received the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for these contributions.
MPI EVA operates a primate research facility at the Leipzig Zoo and has historically maintained departments dedicated to human evolution, evolutionary genetics, developmental and comparative psychology, linguistics, and human behavior, ecology, and culture.