Molecule Hunt : Archaeology and the Search for Ancient DNA

by Jones, Martin

• ISBN13: 9781559706117
• ISBN10: 1559706112
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-05-01
• Publisher: Arcade Pub

Summary

A revolution is underway in archaeology. Working at the cutting edge of genetic and molecular technologies, researchers have been probing the building blocks of ancient life-DNA, proteins, fats-to rewrite our understanding of the past. Their discoveries (including a Mitochondrial Eve, the woman from whom all modern humans descend) and analyses have helped revise the human genealogical tree and answer such questions as: How different are we from the Neanderthals? Who first domesticated horses and ancient grasses? What was life like for our ancestors? Here is science at its most engaging.

Author Biography

Martin Jones is the first holder of the George Pitt-Rivers Professorship of Archaeological Science at Cambridge University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. vii
A different kind of past	p. 1
The quest for ancient DNA	p. 11
Our curious cousins	p. 39
Final traces of life	p. 65
Gaining control	p. 79
Ending the chase	p. 109
Great journeys	p. 131
Beyond DNA	p. 164
Friends and relations	p. 195
Enemies within	p. 217
The hunt goes on	p. 234
References	p. 241
Index	p. 263
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