The journey of man : a genetic odyssey

Wells, Spencer 1969- (Author).

Summary: Around 60,000 years ago, a man, genetically identical to us, lived 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, the author 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, this book is an enthralling, epic tour through the history and development of early humankind.

Record details

ISBN: 0812971469
ISBN: 9780812971460
Physical Description: print
xvi, 218 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm
Edition: Random House trade pbk. ed.
Publisher: New York : Random House Trade Paperbacks, ©2003.

Content descriptions

General Note:	Originally published: Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, ©2002.
Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references and index.
Formatted Contents Note:	The diverse ape -- E pluribus unum -- Eve's mate -- Coasting away -- Leaps and bounds -- The main line -- Blood from a stone -- The importance of culture -- The final Big Bang.