The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry
by Bryan Sykes
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Book Summary Information
Author: Bryan SykesEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2002-05-17
ISBN: 0393323145
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780393323146
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Book Reviews of The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry
Book Review: marvelous explaination of a (previously contentious) scientific debate
Summary: 5 Stars
_The Seven Daughters of Eve_ is ostensibly about the seven "clan mothers" (as Sykes refers to them) with whom all Europeans share a common ancestor. Sykes is specific and clear in stating that these women are not *the* Eve of Biblical reference, and that these women, too had mothers - what makes these women important is that their mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) has survived the last 25,000-odd years and is shared by modern Europeans and those of European descent. But there is much, much more to this fabulous book.
The first few chapters explain clearly and in layman's terms exactly what DNA is, what mitochondrial DNA is (the DNA passed through one's matrilinal line, and therefore subject to very slow genetic change over generations), and how it can be used to identify one's distant (hundreds of generations distant) matrilinial ancestor. WIth this foundation being laid, Sykes then tells of his early work in using DNA to trace human migration and settlement in the Pacific by Polynesians. The question of where the Polynesians originated apparently had been an issue of some scientific disagreement - some anthropologists believed modern Polynesians migrated east to west (a remarkable feat, given tide and wind would work against this migration), others - most famously Thor Heyerdahl (Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific By Raft) held that Polynesians had their origins in the Americas. Through mtDNA (and a happy scientific accident), the issue was laid to rest once and for all: modern Polynesians originated in Asia, making them the greatest seafarers and explorers of humankind.
Having used mtDNA to settle one scientific debate, Sykes in time turned to Europe, this time to discern the origins of modern Europeans. Here lay several scientific controversies: were moden humans descended from Neadnerthals? and if not, was there a replacement of hunter-gatherer Homo sapiens by agricutlrualist humans? Or did hunter-gatherers adopt agriculture? The debate around these questions - and their resolution make up nearly half the book. The scientific debate and the controversey Sykes began by challenging conventional scientific wisdom was apparently contentous. In fact, the very validity of mtDNA was brought into question as a result. For some, this may be too much information, and I must admit it did at times seem like Sykes rubbed the noses of those who criticized him in the ground when his theory was vindicated; I found the explaination and detailing of the debate fascinating - it clearly illustrates the rigor and scrutiny that new science must survive in order for it to become accepted as theory. In the end, the science proved that (1) Homo sapiens are a distinct and different specices from Homo neanderthalensis, and (2) that early Europeans were not replaced by farmers, but rather adopted agriculture and abandoned hunting and gathering.
The final handful of chapters were about the "daughters of eve" themselves, which was fascinating if a little bizarre. Fascinating as the regions from which these "clan mothers" originated was discussed, as well as the details of where most of their ancestors live in the modern world, and a bit about what percentage of modern Europeans are their progeny. Bizzare in that Sykes wrote a narrative about their lives in the Mesolithic and Neolithic age - a flight of imagination, to be sure, but it did provide some context to the challenges of survival at the time.
The odd nature of the third-person account of the "daughters of eve" aside, this is simply a remarkable book. As Carl Sagan and Ane Dunyan wrote in Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors: A Search for Who We Are, "we are all kin." Sykes has genetically proven this is true. As science in general, and genetics in particular, it doesn't get any better than this - it is clear, readable, and terribly interesting. Highly recommended.
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Summary of The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry
The national bestseller that reveals how we are descended from seven prehistoric women. One of the most dramatic stories of genetic discovery since James Watson's The Double Helix, The Seven Daughters of Eve reveals the remarkable story behind a groundbreaking scientific discovery. After being summoned in 1997 to an archaeological site to examine the remains of a five-thousand-year-old man, Bryan Sykes ultimately was able to prove not only that the man was a European but also that he has living relatives in England today. In this lucid, absorbing account, Sykes reveals how the identification of a particular strand of DNA that passes unbroken through the maternal line allows scientists to trace our genetic makeup all the way back to prehistoric times, to seven primeval women, the Seven Daughters of Eve.History Books
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