Ancestors in our genome : the new science of human evolution

Ancestors in our genome The new science of human evolution

Eugene E. Harris

Book - 2015

In 2001, scientists were finally able to determine the full human genome sequence, and with the discovery began a genomic voyage back in time. Since then, we have sequenced the full genomes of a number of mankind's primate relatives at a remarkable rate. The genomes of the common chimpanzee (2005) and bonobo (2012), orangutan (2011), gorilla (2012), and macaque monkey (2007) have already been identified, and the determination of other primate genomes is well underway. Researchers are beginning to unravel our full genomic history, comparing it with closely related species to answer age-old questions about how and when we evolved. For the first time, we are finding our own ancestors in our genome and are thereby gleaning new information ...about our evolutionary past. In Ancestors in Our Genome, molecular anthropologist Eugene E. Harris presents us with a complete and up-to-date account of the evolution of the human genome and our species. Written from the perspective of population genetics, and in simple terms, the book traces human origins back to their source among our earliest human ancestors, and explains many of the most intriguing questions that genome scientists are currently working to answer. For example, what does the high level of discordance among the gene trees of humans and the African great apes tell us about our respective separations from our common ancestor? Was our separation from the apes fast or slow, and when and why did it occur? Where, when, and how did our modern species evolve? How do we search across genomes to find the genomic underpinnings of our large and complex brains and language abilities? How can we find the genomic bases for life at high altitudes, for lactose tolerance, resistance to disease, and for our different skin pigmentations? How and when did we interbreed with Neandertals and the recently discovered ancient Denisovans of Asia? Harris draws upon extensive experience researching primate evolution in order to deliver a lively and thorough history of human evolution. Ancestors in Our Genome is the most complete discussion of our current understanding of the human genome available.

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Subjects
Human genome.
Evolution (Biology)
Hominids > Genetics.
Human evolution.
Evolutionary genetics.
Published
Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press [2015]
©2015
Language
English
Main Author
Eugene E. Harris (author)
Physical Description
xx, 226 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 199-214) and index.
ISBN
9780199978038
  • 1. The Trees Within the Forest: The Molecular Quest for Our Nearest Primate Relative
  • 2. Looks Can Be Deceiving: Evolution Does a Double-Take
  • 3. The Great Divorce: The Human Lineage Emerges
  • 4. A Population Crash: The Down and Upsides to It
  • 5. What Makes Us Human?: Searching the Genome for our Species-Wide Adaptations
  • 6. The Ongoing Evolutionary Journey: Human Adaptations Around the World
  • 7. Kissing Cousins: Clues from Ancient Genomes
  • 8. The Future of the Genome
Review by Choice Review

Ancestors in Our Genome describes scientists' understanding of human evolution, with a focus on contributions from modern genomics. The book starts with what genomics reveals about the divergence of human ancestors from those of humans' nearest existing primate relatives. It then tackles questions about population dynamics in ancestral hominins, the genes that control uniquely human characteristics, and the multiple migrations and hybridizations with Neanderthals and Denisovans that may have led to modern human populations. Harris (biological sciences and geology, CUNY) is very good at describing what is known, what is suspected, and what people would like to know, and his (somewhat wordy) prose is very readable. The target audience is educated laypeople; unfortunately, the book misses this mark. Despite efforts to provide basic background information, readers without at least a year of college biology will be lost in most of the science. Many of Harris's analogies are confusing, and he leaves some complex population genetics concepts virtually unexplained. Despite these shortcomings, Ancestors in Our Genome provides a good basic view of modern human evolutionary biology. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates. --Roger M. Denome, MCPHS University

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

With the sequencing of the human genome, the genomes of many of our primate relatives, and those of both Neanderthals and Denisovans (another hominin), scientists are now able to answer previously unimaginable questions about our origins. Harris, of New York University's Center for the Study of Human Origins, uses these new data sets and tools to "tell the story of the genetic quest, from small stretches of DNA to entire genomes, to trace our past to the origin of our lineage and find our closest ape relative." He presents a sophisticated introduction to population genetics, explaining how gene data can be used to verify or dismiss competing hypotheses for how and when early humans moved out of Africa; the size and timing of the ancestral population that gave rise to both humans and chimpanzees; and how and when humans, and perhaps human ancestors, developed the ability to speak. Harris also explores the current knowledge of individual gene changes that underlie human physiology and behavior, and describes how we know how much Neanderthal and Denisovan genetic material is extant in various human groups while discussing the evolutionary implications of those remnants. The book is technical, thus challenging for the general reader, but is written well enough to make the effort worthwhile. B&w illus. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

Starred Review. Harris (biology, Queensborough Community Coll.; New York Univ.) explains how genomics begins to unravel the details of our species' origins. With genetic maps for living people, other primates, and fossil ancestors, scientists are beginning to piece together our relationship to our predecessors and ascertain which genes make us human, one trait at a time. Harris recounts these developments in language any motivated reader who has taken high school biology can understand. He lucidly defines cladistics and genetic drift and explains the role of each gene mentioned. Crisp, grayscale diagrams enhance the smooth prose. Harris's work might reach a wider audience with more thorough explanations of protein synthesis, the relationship between Mendelian and molecular genetics, and gaps in the fossil record. For readers seeking additional background in basic genetics, there is Daniel Fairbank's Relics of Eden, while Mark Jobling and others' Human Evolutionary Genetics offers an advanced approach. Sadly, the publisher lists Harris's affiliation solely as New York University rather than also Queensborough Community College, which Harris uses with other publications, and where he communicates with an extended following. VERDICT Simply indispensable for any reader wishing to learn about the latest research on human origins.-Eileen H. Kramer, Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Clarkston (c) Copyright 2014. 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.

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