Ancestors in our genome : the new science of human evolution /
Eugene E. Harris.
- Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, (c)2015.
- 1 online resource (xx, 226 pages) : illustrations
Includes bibliographies and index.
Looks can be deceiving -- Many trees in the forest: The DNA quest to find our closest ape relative -- The great divorce: How and when did humans and chimpanzees part ways? -- A population crash in the past -- What can the genome tell us about being human? -- The genomic origins of modern humans -- The ongoing evolutionary journey -- Kissing cousins-- clues in ancient genomes.
"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."--Provided by publisher.
9780199978199
Human genome. Evolution (Biology) Hominids--Genetics. Human evolution. Evolutionary genetics.