Deep Ancestry : How DNA Reveals the Roots of Your Family Tree

The fossil record locates human origins in Africa, but little is known about the great journey that took Homo sapiens to the far reaches of the Earth. How did we, each of us, end up where we are? Why do we appear in such a wide array of different colors and features? Such questions are even more amazing in light of genetic evidence that we are all related--descended from a com- mon African ancestor who lived only 60,000 years ago. Thanks to new genetic testing methods, we now know that the greatest history book ever written is the one hidden in our DNA. In Deep Ancestry,geneticist and explorer Spencer Wells unravels the slight changes in our DNA over time to tell the ancient story of our shared human journey. He also details the current work of Genographic Project--the landmark study that will assemble the world's largest collection of DNA samples to map how humankind populated the planet. He describes how the Project uses sophisticated computer analysis of DNA contributed by hundreds of thousands of people--including indigenous populations and the general public--to reveal man's migratory history and to better understand the connections and differences that make up the human race. The narrative works backward, starting from today and gradually working its way to humankind's common ancestors. From the beginning, the book taps into a reader's interest in genealogy, family history, and ethnic identity. Most of us have a decent sense of our family history, but eventually we all hit a brick wall. DNA takes us beyond it, and this is the unifying theme that will lead us from the stories of the present into the realm of deep ancestry. Now in a thoroughly revised second edition, Deep Ancestry represents the very latest research on where we came from and relates it to our own personal quest to discover the deep ancestry behind our family genealogies and touch the depths of our common origins. For more information about the Genographic Project itself, visit www.nationalgeographic/genographic. From the Trade Paperback edition.