Product Description

Not only are we all descended from a common African 'Adam' and 'Eve', but what's more it can now be proved that all modern non-Africans sprang from a single exodus out of Africa, rather than peopling the earth in multiple waves of migration. In a brilliant synthesis of genetic, archaeological and climatic evidence, Stephen Oppenheimer reveals the story of how a group of no more than a few hundred souls crossed the mouth of the Red Sea some 80,000 years ago. The book follows their halting progress around the world - to the mammoth Steppe heartland of Asia and the now submerged continent of Beringia, and on to the last great unpeopled lands of the Americas. It is a revolutionary account that is both scholarly and entertaining, a remarkable picture of the kinship of all humans.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12620 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Review
A wonderful, very readable book, written by an expert: Stephen Oppenheimer explains how our genes hold clues to the origin of our species, and tell the story of how our ancestors colonised the world.' --Dr Alice Roberts, author of The Incredible Human Journey

'A mind-boggling forensic detective story, based on the latest scientific breakthroughs in DNA. --Ann Hodges, Houston Chronicle -

The story of humanity is now deemed by general consensus to have started in Africa. The common female ancestor of all peoples has been located there using the study of mitochondrial DNA, and it is now possible to produce a diagram of the various branches of the human family tree showing the routes of migration from Africa around the world. Stephen Oppenheimer's book concentrates on the last 200,000 years. He takes the view that there has been only one exodus, and he follows our ancestors out of Africa tracing their routes northwards into Europe, south into Australia and into Asia, and thence to the Americas. He covers this progression in detail, including an outline of the various theories about the peopling of America and the controversies they occasioned. Much of the scientific work which gives proof to the theory stems from recent work. As well as the genetic detective work the story is also informed by contributions from language history and the fossil record, particularly computer analysis of skull shapes. Stephen Oppenheimer also asks other questions. Why did we develop large brains? How is skin colour related to geographical location? Did our African ancestors mix genetically with the Neanderthal population of Europe? Did culture start in Europe or elsewhere? This is an approachable if demanding book. Backing up its assertions with plenty of facts, figures and supplementary detail, it's an excellent academic approach to one of the big questions of interest to all people on the planet. --Kirkus UK

Martin Richards, Researcher in Human Evolutionary Genetics
'To discover the real daughters of Eve, read on.'

Andrew Sherratt, Professor of Archaeology, University of Oxford
'Readable but authoritative.'

Customer Reviews

A "MUST-READ" WORK - MIGRATIONS OF THE ANCESTORS
HERE ARE THE DNA FINGERPRINTS AND FOOTPRINTS of our ancestors, as we have never seen them, thanks to breakthroughs in science. Swab traces taken from thousands of people living today, shows that, circa 80,000 years ago, a group of homo sapiens traversed the strait between Djibouti and Yemen, and became the first ever "out of africa" Sapiens. Or at least, the first whose genetic traces survived in our complex mitochondrial (maternal line) genetic make-up. Some of the group, wandering eastwards along the Indian Ocean's coastlines, in a few 1000 years, reached the Sumatra area. Their tools and traces have been found in the volcanic ash of the Toba Volcano explosion of 72,000 BC, and in Australia. It was only later around 45,000 to 40,000 BC, that a branch of this so-called "Cro-Magnon" group made its impact in Europe and slowly displaced the long-established Neanderthals. They had learned new skills on millennia-long trails that were evolutionary as well as geographical, and re-wrote Earth's history.

Robust science in a charmingly written package
The book is trying to decipher one of the major questions faced by the paleontological scientific community today, namely the when, how and why Homo Sapiens, our species, managed to get to every last corner of the planet.
Such a vast problem requires, by default, a multidisciplinary approach, and that is exactly the author's method. He combines archaeological data, climate history studies and the latest in biological-genes research, in order to painfully and methodically reconstruct first the Exodus from Africa - birthplace of our species - and then the various phases of human diffusion. He proposes a single exodus from Africa theory, around 80.000 years ago and then follows the combined evidence (fossil record, tools, locations and genes) to trace the human voyage to Southern Asia, Australia, Northern Asia and Europe and finally the Americas.
The author makes a persuasive case and one may agree or disagree with his proposals or parts of them. Irrespective of that, one has to admire the robustly scientific approach to each and separate problem faced during this fascinating journey. Mr. Oppenheimer is the first to state the doubtful of his position in many instances and never passes mere hypotheses as facts. And, most important of all, since this is a book aimed at interested laymen, not scientists of the field, his prose is clear, as free of scientific jargon as possible and downright charming. The illustrations, maps and color plates complement the text in a most satisfying way, making for an excellent and very interesting read.

migration of man
120,000years ago man(Homo Sapiens) attempted to migrate out of Africa but failed,itwas not till 80,000years ago that a sucessful migration happened .This group crossed the Red Sea and headed for India.50,000years ago the group split some going toEuroe while the restcontinued eastward 3 further splits occured to Central Asia, China and Australia.The main migration progressed via China and Russia to the Bearing straits to Alaska and the Americas by 25,000years ago and the tip of South America 12,500yeaarsago.
The author describes this journey in excellent detail through the use of mitochondrial DNA and archeology Firet class mitochondrial maps are providedas are copious explanatory notes.A book to be recommended.