New Knowledge Library · The Historical Map of Human Genes

Author: Steve Olson [USA]
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: Throughout history, the habit of categorizing others has brought much suffering to humanity. Entire ethnic groups were slaughtered or enslaved simply because of their skin color or the shape of their eyes. This book is about history, but the history it discusses is one that is inseparable from our daily lives. Most of us identify as Hispanic or Chinese, white or black—perhaps we have some connection to these classifications. Some believe that the aggression, religiosity, and inventive capacity of a group cannot be the result of learned behavior but must be linked to genetic inheritance. However, genetic research tells us this is not the case. The relationships between different ethnic groups are too close, with differences only existing on the surface. Genetic studies also confirm that all humans are interconnected. Whether it's the dominant Han Chinese, the European colonizers who spread across the world, the Jews who are scattered globally, or the Bushmen who hunt antelopes, they are all members of the same human family. This book explores the genetic stories of vast regions of the world, tracing the history of modern humans from their earliest emergence to the present, and also tracks the origins and diversification of languages, revealing how humans evolved into the different races and ethnicities we see today.