Book Summary:
An accessible and absorbing examination of how the genes of living people reveal the history of humankind, from the origins of humans 6 million years ago to the present. Where did modern humans come from and how important are the biological differences among us? Are we descended from Neanderthals? How many races of people are there? Were Native Americans the first settlers of the New World? How can we tell if Thomas Jefferson had a child with Sally Hemings? Can we see even in the Irish of today evidence of Viking rampages of a millennium ago? Through engaging examination of issues such as these, and using non-technical language, Reflections of Our Past shows how anthropologists use genetic information of many kinds to test theories and define possible answers to fundamental questions in human history. By looking at genetic variation in the world today, we can reconstruct the recent and remote events and processes that have created the variation we see, providing a fascinating reflection of our genetic past. |