Review by Choice Review
Sykes (human genetics, Oxford Univ.), a natural storyteller, relates the early history of developing genetics up to contemporary times as the DNA of genes is decoded. From blood typing, through nuclear chromosomes, and finally to the mitochondrial plasmid, the story of human origins is traced. After extracting DNA from ancient bones and from miniscule mitochondria, this hereditary material is subjected to sequencing that, when compared to mitochondrial DNA from different donors, yields insights into our past. Mitochondrial DNA is derived solely from the egg, and these maternal organelles are passed onto all offspring from the same mother. By comparing the bases and mutations that occur slowly, bit by bit, a biological time clock can be established, which provides an estimate of the age of the original female progenitor. With many samples of mitochondrial DNA, clusters of mutations can be identified and matched. As of now, seven distinct clusters have been recognized and dated and serve as the source of the mitochondria found in our present populations; these seven archetypical Paleolithic women are named the "daughters of Eve." A riveting account showing how archeological evidence and molecular biology findings complement one another in the challenge to unearth our past and our beginnings. All levels. R. A. Hoots Woodland Community College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
From Eve, the earliest known hominid, discovered in Africa, geneticist Sykes traces a genetic linkage to seven prehistoric European women. A gifted writer, he conveys the excitement and drama of his discovery of strands of DNA that passed unbroken through the maternal line. He names the seven women he found in that line and extrapolates probable lives for them, based on anthropological data, thereby bringing them to life. His particular quest began with examining the remains of a 5,000-year-old man found in Italy and proceeded amidst the competitive pressure of other scientists, professional tensions between colleagues, and his sense of the fun involved in making his discoveries. In the end, he can trace living Europeans from some of Eve's seven daughters. Sykes is keenly aware of the professional and human significance of scientific inquiry and discovery, as well as of the woeful history of the use of genetics by racist theories--awareness that adds to this exciting contribution to showing that all humans share a common ancestry. --Vanessa Bush
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"A traveler from an antique land... lives within us all," claims Sykes, a professor of genetics at Oxford. This unique traveler is mitochondrial DNA, and, as this provocative account illustrates, it can help scientists and archeologists piece together the history of the human race. Mitochondrial DNA is present in every cell in the body, and it remains virtually unchanged (aside from random mutations) as it passes from mother to daughter. By quantifying and analyzing the mutations of this relatively stable circle of DNA, Sykes has solved some of the hottest debates about human origins. For example, he clarified a long-running debate among anthropologists over the original inhabitants of the Cook Islands. After retrieving mitochondrial DNA samples from the island natives, Sykes concluded that the natives emigrated from Asia, not America, as many Western anthropologists had contended. In a similar manner, Sykes analyzed samples from native Europeans to determine that modern humans are not at all related to Neanderthals. The book's most complex and controversial find that the ancient European hunter-gatherers predominated over the farmers and not vice versa leads Sykes to another stunning conclusion: by chance, nearly all modern Europeans are descendants of one of seven "clan mothers" who lived at different times during the Ice Age. Drawing upon archeological and climatic records, Sykes spins seven informative and gracefully imagined tales of how these "daughters of Eve" eked out a living on the frozen plains. (July 9) Forecast: Sykes is a bit of a celebrity geneticist, as he was involved in identifying the remains of the last Romanovs. This fame, plus his startling conclusions augmented by a five-city tour should generate publicity and sales among science, archeology and genealogy buffs. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Sykes (genetics, Oxford Univ.; editor, Human Inheritance: Genes, Language, and Evolution) is passionate about his work in decoding mitochondrial DNA and about using this knowledge to trace the path of human evolution. To lure readers into this specialized work, he relates personal and historical anecdotes, offering familiar ground from which to consider the science. A discussion of the history of genetics and descriptions of the early landmark work of Sykes and his associates culminate with his finding that 90 percent of modern Europeans are descendents of just seven women who lived 45,000 to 10,000 years ago. Brief biographies serve to place these "seven daughters" into historical context as understood by archaeology. This is an example of good popular science writing that makes difficult concepts accessible and relevant to the general reader. Recommended for public libraries. (Index not seen.) [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/01.] Ann Forister, Roseville P.L., CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A British geneticist details the contributions of his discipline to anthropology. Perhaps the most startling breakthrough of genetic science is the confirmation that we are all descended from a very small number of prehistoric individuals. Sykes (Molecular Medicine/Oxford) has been examining DNA from fossil animals and humans, and from their modern descendents, since the 1980s. At an early stage, he and his colleagues recognized that the relationships of far-flung modern populations will be recorded in the sequence of their DNA-particularly mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited exclusively from one's mother, and which mutates at a slow but steady rate. Armed with blood samples from across the Pacific, he traced the Polynesians to their origins in the neighborhood of Taiwan. His investigations of European DNA appear to eliminate the hypothesis that modern humans are in part descended from Neanderthals. Controversy arose when Sykes's research contradicted the widely received theory that the indigenous hunter-gatherer population of Europe was largely replaced by an influx of farmers from the Middle East in the early Neolithic period. Mitochondrial DNA indicated that instead of being wiped out by invading farmers, the natives adopted the practice of agriculture from the easterners; the culture changed, not the population. The anthropological establishment at first denied the validity of his methods, but independent lines of DNA evidence confirmed his results, indicating that the Neolithic influx contributed only about 20 percent of the modern European genetic heritage. Most recently, Sykes has determined that the vast majority of Europeans are descended from seven prehistoric women-whom he names and imaginatively describes in the final chapters of this entertaining book. These fictional re-creations give a useful sense of the complexity of early human society. A clear and readable exposition of the interface between genetics and anthropology, enlivened by a wry sense of humor.
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