Product Details

• Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Nat'l Geographic Vid
• DVD Release Date: September 1, 2009
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002AS461Y
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,252 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

HUMAN FAMILY TREE - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

109 of 116 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent presentation of our common genetic links, September 2, 2009

By 

Dr. Wm Hampton Adams - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Human Family Tree (DVD)

The National Geographic Society research on the Genographic Project is a genetic analysis of the human species origin in Africa and its spread throughout the world. Using samples, the lab results tell a story of the many branchings of the human tree. From the mitochondrial DNA, the researchers found that everyone in the world descends from one women in Africa some 150,000 to 200,000 years ago, while using the Y-chromosome they found we all descend from one man some 70,000 years ago. Mutations created branches through time in both areas and these are used to show the basic migration routes for the people, through their genes.

That these branches happened appears to be well researched. However, the researchers give approximate dates for these events and that is an area open to question. Is it really 150,000 or is it 1.5 million years ago for the scientific "Eve"? One issue glossed over is that the genetic evidence is not matching well with the archaeological and human paleontological data. For example, the genetic data showed a date of 15-20,000 years ago for the peopling of the New World and assumes that Clovis people were the first. How then are the dozens of well-dated sites in South America from 30,000+ years going to fit the genetic model. One statement was potentially wrong, when they said that Native Americans were isolated until Columbus. This negates the Viking settlement in Labrador, Canada, as well as possible contact with Chinese. The Eskimo and Aleut who came later to America are also not included.

Another issue that needs to be discussed better in this film is that Europe and Asia were well occupied about a million years ago, and that genetic links between Homo erectus fossils in China and modern Asians exist in their shovel-shaped incisors. Similarly, some of the Java Homo erectus specimens show traits still found there. Clearly, those populations today have some ancestors who did not migrate out of Africa some 70,000 years ago. Researchers also are still debating if Neanderthals left their genes in us.

Going back to 150,000 years ago and assuming 25 years per generation, each of us had 2 to the 6000th power ancestral lines in our massive genealogy. (Two to the 30th power is a billion!) This film portrays only two of those lines.

The film is well worth seeing. However, in many ways it contains the fallacy of extrapolation because it looks only at those two lines. Nevertheless, an important point made repeatedly in the film is that we are all cousins in the human family and that research on the great chain of being is worthwhile. I ordered my kit today from National Geographic.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Human Family Tree, February 28, 2010

By 

P. Gipson "Pam" (Chattanooga, TN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Human Family Tree (DVD)

This long term study of human geneology is very informative, lots of new informatoin regarding human origins and dispersement over time. Follows a number of different study participants, giving their background and opinions on where they think they originated and in the end what their DNA shows their origins to be. Nice graphics to show different migration paths. Explains how all humans can trace back to the same ancestry over hundreds of generations.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars we are all one, February 7, 2010

By 

Holly H. Short (Surprise, AZ,USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Human Family Tree (DVD)

The first time I saw this DVD my mind was blown away. Imagine tracing all of us back to one tribe in Africa. The history, migration, reasons for diversity-it is one of the best shows ever. It will certainly change the way you view the world.