Reflections Of Our Past and over 360,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

28 used & new from $3.29
See All Buying Options
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
Reflections of Our Past: How Human History is Revealed in Our Genes
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading Reflections Of Our Past on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Reflections of Our Past: How Human History is Revealed in Our Genes (Hardcover)

~ John H Relethford (Author), (Author) "I probably shouldn't admit this, but I spent a fair amount of time watch television while in graduate school..." (more)
Key Phrases: genetic distance map, most recent common female ancestor, accumulated ancestry, New World, Native Americans, Southwest Asia (more...)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


7 new from $18.89 21 used from $3.29

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition $17.60 -- --
  Hardcover -- $18.89 $3.29
  Paperback $28.21 $12.49 $12.12

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Skin: A Natural History

Skin: A Natural History

by Nina G. Jablonski
4.6 out of 5 stars (12)  $14.49
The Emperor's New Clothes: Biological Theories of Race at the Millennium

The Emperor's New Clothes: Biological Theories of Race at the Millennium

by Joseph L. Graves Jr.
3.5 out of 5 stars (19)  $18.63
Human Evolutionary Genetics: Origins, Peoples and Disease

Human Evolutionary Genetics: Origins, Peoples and Disease

by Mark A. Jobling
4.4 out of 5 stars (5)  $82.55
Human Variation: Races, Types, and Ethnic Groups (6th Edition)

Human Variation: Races, Types, and Ethnic Groups (6th Edition)

by Stephen Molnar
3.6 out of 5 stars (5)  $58.31
Skeletons in Our Closet: Revealing Our Past through Bioarchaeology

Skeletons in Our Closet: Revealing Our Past through Bioarchaeology

by Clark Spencer Larsen
4.0 out of 5 stars (1)  $28.95
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this gem of a book, Relethford, an anthropologist at SUNY Oneonta, examines how members of his field use genetic information to shed light on human origins and prehistory, and he questions some orthodox views along the way. Through intuitive examples and friendly analogies, Relethford shows the lay reader why our closest living relatives are the African apes and how one's method of genetic classification depends on the questions one is trying to answer. Examining how our genetic variations inform us about our origins, he tentatively challenges current views by proposing that not all of our ancestors originated in Africa 150,000 years ago-some came from other continents. Then there is the question of what happened to the ill-fated Neanderthals: Relethford shows that differences between Neanderthal and present human DNA are not as great as we might think, and concludes that perhaps Neanderthals were bred out of existence by mixing with a numerically superior gene pool. The remainder of the book shows how genetic data from living human populations can be used to reconstruct the past. The author touches on the Kennewick Man controversy (the skeleton found in Washington state was dated at 9,600 years old yet appeared European), concluding that he was probably not Caucasian but in fact a precursor to Native Americans. There are also chapters on the origins of the Polynesians, the genetic history of Ireland and ever-interesting case studies of genetic admixture such as the Jewish diaspora and the Thomas Jefferson-Sally Hemings affair.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist

In this clarifying presentation, Relethford conveys the vital contribution genetic analysis makes to our understanding of human evolution. Its techniques burst into popular awareness when, 15 years ago, scientists announced they had traced back 200,000 years to discover "Eve," the common ancestor to all humanity or, strictly speaking, a pool of several thousand individuals with the common ancestor. Nice story, but how accurate is it? Relethford delves into the issue to unveil a fundamental debate in paleoanthropology about whether modern humans are descended from the Eve group in Africa, or from multiregional populations. What DNA, drawn from Neanderthal bones and living people, says about this is not clear-cut; however, Relethford's explanation of genetic techniques most certainly is. An important contribution to the literature on human origins. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Basic Books (May 6, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0813339588
  • ISBN-13: 978-0813339580
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,032,440 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

John Relethford
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's John Relethford Page
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
I probably shouldn't admit this, but I spent a fair amount of time watch television while in graduate school. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
genetic distance map, most recent common female ancestor, accumulated ancestry, classic genetic markers, express train model, multiregional evolution model, demic diffusion model, chimpanzee subspecies, modal haplotype, mitochondrial haplogroups, archaic humans, modern human origins, genetic admixture, genetic estimates, genetic contact, zoological family, human genetic diversity, genetic ancestry, molecular dating, multiregional model, different primate species, replacement model, genetic impact, gene flow, genetic distances
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New World, Native Americans, Southwest Asia, Middle East, African American, Southeast Asia, Old World, Aran Islands, Irish Travellers, North America, Thomas Jefferson, Kennewick Man, Pacific Islands, Western Europe, United States, Human Reference Sequence, East Asian, Bering Strait, European American, Northeast Asia, Iberian Peninsula, Sally Hemings, South America, Feldhofer Neandertal, North Africa
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 46 books:
See all 46 books this book cites
 
3 books cite this book:

Books on Related Topics (learn more)
 
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Reflections of Our Past: How Human History is Revealed in Our Genes
77% buy the item featured on this page:
Reflections of Our Past: How Human History is Revealed in Our Genes 5.0 out of 5 stars (3)
The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution
8% buy
The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution 4.1 out of 5 stars (29)
$17.82
Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo
6% buy
Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo 4.3 out of 5 stars (55)
$11.53
Skin: A Natural History
6% buy
Skin: A Natural History 4.6 out of 5 stars (12)
$14.49
Explore similar items

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
 
(25)
(22)
(20)
(16)
(13)
(12)
(12)
(10)
(9)
(6)
(5)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Overview for the Layperson, July 21, 2003
By Alton R. Jenkins (Cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
The author is to be commended for a very understandable book for the layman on this subject. He expertly describes the methods researchers use in analyzing genetic data without overwhelming the layperson (like myself) with unnecessary details. He includes just enough of the details to make things understandable. I appreciate this.

I also appreciate his caution in drawing conclusions from the data too soon. It seems to me that the author does not say, "This is the way it was." Rather he says, "This hypothesis is supported by the data, but another hypothesis may also be supported by the data if viewed from another perspective. More research is required." I would recommend this book to anyone who is trying to better understand the scientific method.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a fine balance, May 26, 2004
By Stephen A. Haines (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
Labelling this work as "balanced" is a minimal descriptive. Relethford seeks to explain and reconcile some of the major themes in human evolution. Each topic is introduced with a presentation of "traditional" views. These are lined out fully and each seems to have sufficient support for a conclusive case. Relethford has been busy keeping up with the latest research, and the remainder of each section relates much of that. By the end of each section, it's clear that the old view has been successfully challenged. However, as the author frequently points out, many questions remain open. Little of this book provides final answers. He wants more work done. Much of the book is an appeal for newcomers to the field to find opportunities.

No approach is better suited to gaining an understanding of the path humanity has taken in its spread around the planet. Relethford's style keeps your attention on the topics. He presents the information clearly and succinctly. The flow is good and requires little "back-flipping" to understand what he's trying to accomplish. As a geneticist, his focus is on gene indicators. The fossil record, while providing a firm foundation, is clearly not definitive in his view. It is the genetic record of humanity that has provided the clearest picture of how and when humans came out of Africa to populate the world. Fossils are a guide, but the path is better marked by gene markers. They offer a more complete picture of our wanderings.

"More complete" doesn't do justice to Relethford's approach. He lacks the dogmatic approach of many of his colleagues. The balanced treatment makes this book especially valuable, particularly to one new to the topics. As the book progresses the focus becomes ever tighter. After giving a general description of African origins, he summarises our knowledge of the Neandertals. Co-existent with our species, he considers the questions of species identity, the possibilities of interbreeding with Homo sapiens and extinction. In a related section he considers the onset of agriculture - did it spread from a single point of origin, or emerge in dispersed locations? He also examines the origins and progress of Native Americans and Polynesians. Closing the book with pinpoint examples, he explains the genetic history of islands on the Eire coast and the relationship of Jewish population elements. The historical issues are examined and countervailing ideas set against them.

Relethford provides a fine range of illustrations, including maps and analytical graphs to expand on the text. Some of these require close attention as they simplify some rather complex analytical techniques. The captions, in many cases, are essential - which doesn't detract from the information value. The References are almost entirely academic, making tracing difficult for the general reader for whom this book was produced. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars cool and clear thinking about human genetic diversity, March 18, 2005
By Charles E. Nydorf (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Ever since Cann, Stoneking and Wilson published their pathbreaking reconstruction of the history of human mitochondrial DNA in 1987, there has been a large amount of research attempting to use geographical patterns of human genetic diversity to throw light on human prehistory. Of all the books written for the layman that review progress in the field, this one is the best. Relethford avoids the triumphalism and groupthink that tends to characterize a lot of writing in this field. He is careful not to confuse the history of particular genes with the history of the populations in which these genes
are found. As he explains it, whatever historical inferences are made from genetic patterns are highly dependent on the investigator's assumptions about demographic history and these assumptions are often made without justification.
The author has himself contributed to much of the research described in the book. His studies of genetic history in Ireland are particular fascinating.He also includes a valuable discussion of the complex relationships between biological descent and ethnic identity; a subject upon which people are frequently confused.
I would recommend this book without reservation to anyone interested in the subject.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:




















i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.



Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.