Around 60,000 years ago, a mangenetically identical to uslived in Africa. Every person alive today is descended from him. How did this real-life Adam wind up as the father of us all? What happened to the descendants of other men who lived at the same time? And why, if modern humans share a single prehistoric ancestor, do we come in so many sizes, shapes, and races?
Examining the hidden secrets of human evolution in our genetic code, Spencer Wells reveals how developments in the revolutionary science of population genetics have made it possible to create a family tree for the whole of humanity. Replete with marvelous anecdotes and remarkable information, from the truth about the real Adam and Eve to the way differing racial types emerged, The Journey of Man is an enthralling, epic tour through the history and development of early humankind.
Spencer Wells is an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society and the director of the Genographic Project. After studying under genetic pioneer Luigi Cavalli-Sforza at Stanford University, he began an unusual career that combines science, writing, and filmmaking. His acclaimed first book, The Journey of Man, combined his own DNA research with the work of archaeologists, paleoanthropologists, paleoclimatologists, and linguists to show how modern humans came to populate the planet.
" surprisingly accessible By explaining his terminology and methods throughout the book, instead of in a chunk, Wells makes following the branches of the human tree seem easy."Publishers Weekly
"Wells traces our distant history with a mix of clarity and charm that's rare among scientists. He makes the complexities of population genetics wonderfully clear."The New York Times Book Review
This comprehensive theory of global migration out of Africa not only has the intrigue of the best novels written, it has the fundamental intrigue of the biological basis of our species on planet earth. This book belongs in the philosophical and theological anthropology section of my mind - rich with sublime insights into a comprehensive view of mankind.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend