Mapping Human History: Discovering the Past Through Our Genes.STEVE v. t. 1. To pack or stow, as cargo in a ship's hold. See Steeve. OLSON By pulling together evidence from the recent mapping of the human genome The human genome is the genome of Homo sapiens, which is composed of 24 distinct pairs of chromosomes (22 autosomal + X + Y) with a total of approximately 3 billion DNA base pairs containing an estimated 20,000–25,000 genes. , the archaeological record The archaeological record is a term used in archaeology to denote all archaeological evidence, including the physical remains of past human activities which archaeologists seek out and record in an attempt to analyze and reconstruct the past. , and linguistic research, Olson argues that the idea of race is merely a social construct with no biological basis. He points to a Mitochondrial Eve Mitochondrial Eve (mt-mrca) is the name given by researchers to the woman who is defined as the matrilineal most recent common ancestor (MRCA) for all living humans. , who lived in Africa about 150,000 years ago and from whom all people descended. By tracking five broad regions of the world--Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, Europe, and the Americas--from their first appearance in history to the modern day, Olson explores what our genetic history tells us about the past, present, and future of our species. HM, 2002, 292 p., hardcover, $25.00. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
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