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Andrew Wyllie

The Evolution of Mankind Told Through Our Genes

Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2017

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This book describes the evolution of man based on the latest discoveries about the human genome. It talks aboout how science is able to determine how (and when) some of our genetic history was written. How the ancestors of man started in Africa and spread through the rest of the world displacing other types of humans who are no longer around. A lot of the narrative is speculative, but it is careful to label it as such. The most probable scenarios of how different regions of the world were populated are detailed and are explored in turn.

As some other reviewers have mentioned, this book does focus at several points on race, but it cautions anyone from making value judgements based on the genetic findings. The book talks about how people of various races have a higher or lower chance of contracting a particular disease or condition because of genes that might be more common to that race than to others in the world. The races of the world are part of our evolutionary history and can not be ignored just because some people may try to use it as a way to classify people as better or worse than others.

This book appears to be geared towards a person who may be a little above what would be considered a layman understanding of science, but is not so high minded that the layman would be lost in it. The author does a very good job of explaining the terminology that is being used in his narrative and of the various experts that he quotes. I would recommend this book to someone who wants to know about the most recent findings in genetics and how it is helping us understand our ancestors a little better.

David Lindsay

A History of Human Evolution

Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2020

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Nicholas Wade tells the story of human evolution and migration. Five million years ago the first humans split from the apes. One of the principal themes of the book is the continual evolution of humans, especially since their migration out of Africa around 50,000 years ago. He claims that genetics is changing what we know about our history. Wade argues human evolution has continued to be shaped by the different environments and lifestyles of each continent. Wade was a science reporter for the New York Times from 1981-2012. This book was published in 2006. Wade believes that Darwinian selection means that the different human populations on each continent have probably evolved differently. His views are supported by David Reich who is a geneticist at Harvard Medical School.

Just 50,000 years ago homo-sapiens shared the planet with three other types of humans -- Neanderthals, Homo erectus, and Homo floresiensis. We don't know why these others died out. It seems likely that our ancestors exterminated them. Through information obtained from DNA, Wade claims, it is possible to determine that humans lost their body hair and began to wear clothing about 70,000 years ago. Darwin believed it was because we started to find mates with less hair more attractive.

About 45,000 years ago we became modern human beings in a recognizable way. We had become very smart after we underwent a “cognitive revolution.” Our branch of humanity achieved world domination. We developed the ability to communicate with each other in ways that other animals could not. We don’t know what triggered this change, but we do know that Neanderthals and the other human species disappeared. We expanded out of Africa and colonized the world. About 40,000 years ago we reached Australia and the Americas. About 15,000 years ago Europeans abandoned hunter-gathering and started to live in communities.

Darwin had provided a convincing explanation of how life had evolved over billions of years from simple microbes to the complexity of life in the world today. Darwin believed that as a species travels through time, it continually adapts to its environment. Darwin successfully explained the small adjustments by which an organism adapts to local circumstances: changes to fur density or wing style or beak shape. Darwin explained how we evolved from apes. His classic theory was published over 150 years ago and Wade believes that Darwin is still very important in understanding human evolution.

Wade discusses the human genome. The genome is an organism's complete set of DNA, including all of its genes. Each genome contains all of the information needed to build and maintain that organism. DNA operates like a computer program and Bill Gates has described it as the most complex program ever written. The information contained is enormous. At 9.6 million characters, Marcel Proust’s "In Search of Lost Time" holds the record for the longest novel ever written. The human genome is 6 billion letters long and contains about 700 megabytes of data. Wade does not explain the origin of the genetic code or how changes to the code are made, I presume this is still a mystery.

Darwin argued that if populations are isolated from the rest of a species over many generations (and members of each isolated population breed only with one another), each population may become distinct from the original species. While many adaptations happened in parallel across human populations, Wade believes that genetic isolation has led to a degree of independent evolution. For example, Australia's aboriginal people arrived 40,000 years ago. They may have had little interaction with other humans for thousands of years, this may have led to genetic and cultural differentiation. He explains that Iceland has only been settled for 1,000 years, but he believes that the inhabitants have already developed distinctive genetic traits. Wade believes that human brains have evolved in different ways in Europe, Africa and Asia and this is supported by differences in IQ. This is a controversial claim and Wade has been accused of racism.

Humans learned to talk to each other about 45,000 years ago. It was obviously a huge advantage to develop language skills. It is what makes us different from other species, but why are we are the only species to do so? Wade notes that humans have a language gene and chimps do not. Wade doesn’t explain why that might be. It is unclear who or what made the modifications to our genetic code. Wade references Noam Chomsky's theory of "universal grammar" – which refers to both the hard-wiring of the brain that allows children to learn grammatical rules. He also notes the underlying grammatical similarities of all human languages. Why certain grammatical rules are imprinted on the brain is another mystery. There still seem to be major gaps in our knowledge about how we evolved.

DoctorHardric

One Amazing Journey

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2019

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I think it has been fairly common knowledge for some time now, that all modern Humans came out of Africa. What is great about this book is the new, DNA evidence, that only about 160 or so individuals made that fateful trek and we are their descendants. This book tells how the women outnumbered the men as the men were killing each other off. How "Archaic Man", the Neanderthals, were stopping early Humans from leaving Africa and how we probably do NOT have Neanderthal DNA in us, which is just as good, because they were in fact, little more than two legged animals. Neanderthals probably didn't even throw their spears....which did not change in over 100 thousand years. We, us, the descendants of that hardy group took on Archaic man and spread all over the world. Leaving the Neanderthals to go extinct. This book mentions the Human Brain upgrades that have taken place at least 3 times in the last 50,000 years. It's good reading and super interesting. Worth the money and the time it takes to read it, which if you are like me, will take only about 3 days.

Old Stuff, lots no longer valid.

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2019

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It was nice hearing the CD while riding. Recently I've been reading lots of books on civilization, DNA, etc. In many ways the contemporary study of homo sapiens is nearly a different field. This is due to new high tech contemporary tools. In addition to tools there's a plethora of new data pertaining to behavior. Rather than dig deep, as I lack time, I would suggest reviewing books on Amazon and then selecting something that readers affirm is fascinating and enjoyable.

Top reviews from other countries

Reg Fries

The start of everything ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 29, 2018

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This book finally puts history into its proper perspective. It traces the descent of man and his habitation from the earliest of times in an objective and unprejudiced, clear to understand manner. Based on solid scientific research it dispels the myth of the "noble savage" and portrays us all as we really are - warts and all. It should be compulsory reading for all schoolchildren - and their teachers.

Ross

Magnificent exploration of our origins.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 30, 2014

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As someone who finds the origins and deep history of our species fascinating, and has read a number of books on the subject I have to say that I found this one the most enjoyable. As an experienced science journalist the author is more adept at explaining the an area of science that has become much better understood with genetic evidence over the last decade or so, to a general audience than most scientists.

Wade traces our origins from the time humans split from chimpanzees through the key milestones of modern human development such as coming down from the trees, developing language, spreading from Africa, settlements and agriculture and explains what would be the likely pressures that pushed humanity in those directions.

This is a great book and almost anyone interested in the subject will appreciate it.

Luis Moreno abatí

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 15, 2018

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Quite good book
Very interesting

drone

Interesting topic well covered

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2013

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I find human origins fascinating, and this book covers a very broad and complex subject in understandable language. Recommended for any reader not just the specialist.

Anupa Nangla

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2018

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Wanted the book for ages.

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