Each drop of blood is essentially a historical document, Wells said. Our DNA tells the story of the journey of our species. New DNA studies suggest that all humans descended from a single African ancestor who lived some 60,000 years ago. To uncover the paths that lead from him to every living human, the National Geographic Society launched the Genographic Project, headed by Spencer Wells. The quest for Adam is the subject of a new television documentary that airs on the National Geographic Channel in the U.S. this Sunday. The project is a five-year endeavor undertaken as a partnership between IBM and National Geographic. It will combine population genetics and molecular biology to trace the migration of humans from the time we first left Africa, 50,000 to 60,000 years ago, to the places where we live today. Ten research centers around the world have received funding from the Waitt Family Foundation to collect and analyze blood samples from indigenous populations (such as aboriginal groups), many in remote areas. The Genographic Project hopes to collect more than a hundred thousand DNA samples to create the largest gene bank in the world. Members of the public are also being invited to participate. Our DNA tells a fascinating story of the human journey: how we are all related and how our ancestors got to where we are today, Wells said. This project will show us some of the routes early humans followed to populate the globe and paint a picture of the genetic tapestry that connects us all. Tracing Human History As often happens in science, said Wells, technology has opened up a field to new ways of answering old questions—often providing startling answers. One of the old questions that intrigued Wells was the question of human origins. Whether early humans evolved in Africa or elsewhere, when they began outward migration, and where they went....now aint that sumpthin!
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 03:30:14 +0000
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