i came across this interview and found it intensely interesting. i wasn't aware how much progress has been made with ancient human dna in recent years; how much data has replaced speculation on the origins of various groups and lineages.
one point that really resonated with me was the argument of just how absurd it has been that we've swallowed the idea that distance has (until recently), served as such a substantial reproductive barrier. we know it hasn't been true in pre-industrial, historical times, but we've just sort of accepted that it was true in pre-historical eras.
at the same time, reich emphasizes multiple times the lack of gene flow between neighboring bands of humans, presumably on a very fine scale. i may be misinterpreting, but my synthesis is that in our mental model of human admixture, we should replace distance with culture (probably mostly the cultural predilection to kill one another) as the primary impediment to panmixis.
at any rate, very cool podcast and i recommend it to anyone with a couple of hours to kill.
