Genealogy Books - The Seven Daughters of Eve

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Summary: Syked on Mitochondrial DNA
Comment: I have to confess that my scientific aptitude would be somewhere between Pee Wee Herman and Mr Bean.
The idea of a "nucleus" was some vague recollection of a high school science lesson and "enzymes"
were just something in my washing powder. Then I picked up "The Seven Daughters of Eve".
/>For people daunted by the very idea of genetics, mitochrondial DNA, nucleotide bases and so forth,
"Seven Daughters" is refreshing blast of clean air. Sykes has boiled the research and ideas right
down, and given it in a very easily understandable format with some anecdotes and a good splash of
humour, (Sykes is quite a humorous person). What comes out in the end is a very interesting,
extremely informative and quite entertaining read.

Sykes takes the reader through the
stumbles and breakthroughs of scientific research, and dispels some myths of scientists with
clear-cut aims and goals. He establishs the reliability of his methods using some more recent case
studies, along with the more ancient research that he pursues.

Along with another
reviewer, I found one or two parts hard to get my head around, such as the replication and
amplification of DNA. However, that did not in any way detract from the overall understanding. />
This is, quite simply, a fantastic book written for anyone who has a curiosity in genetics
and human origins. As Max Ingman of the American Institute of Biological Sciences said, "population
genomics is still in its infancy". I think Sykes' book makes a fantastic introduction to the field.

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Summary: Highly readable account of the flow of population, not always scientific, but excellent overall
Comment: I can see why some people object to Sykes' book, "Seven Daughters of Eve". Towards the end he flows
into what can only be described as a mini 'clan of the cave bear' - with 7 novellettes being
written. Yet this is a small part of what is overall an enormously readable and fascinating
book.

This book is a dual journey - the story of his research into Mitochondrial DNA
(mtDNA) , which starts with the discovery of the iceman in the alps in 1991 and the parallel journey
in which he traces some of the genetic lines of various peoples through the world, proving - and at
times disproving - prevailing theories.

Essentially the discovery that mtDNA was passed
down directly from mother to her children through history meant that it was relatively
straightforward issue to trace back genetic lines to the dawn of civillisation, and indeed as Sykes
does at the end of the book, to the dawn of man - or in this case woman. It was this item of our
genetic make-up which his research has helped to pinpoint mysteries such as the identity of the last
Tsar of Russia and the mysterious woman, Anna Anderson, who claimed to be the youngest of his
daugthers, Anastacia.

MtDNA is unique - it is not actually part of the genetic building
blocks of the human,therefore is not part of the exchange of genetic material at fertillization.
however it is subject to mutation - the approximate rate of one mutation every 1000 years. His
research into this matter allowed him to first trace the polynesian migration from its source in
China through various islands finally to New Zealand, Easter Island and even Hawaii. This proof
helped back up a plethora of physical resarch on these migrations, but disproved Thor Heyerdahl's
theorys.

Sykes research of what happened in genetic migration in Europe is a bit more
confusing. It was also more controversial as it went against the established theorys. Sykes mtDNA
research indicated that the hunter/gatherers of Europe had not been overwhelmed by the Eastern
Farmers who had been thought to have 'flooded' Europe. MtDNA indicated that some 80% of Europeans
were descended from those original hunter/gatherers. The invasion, had been more of a gentle mixing
of cultures and ways. However, simply because his research showed this didn't mean it was
universally accepted, and for some time he had to provide enormous extra effort to back up his
claims. His relentless pursuit of different means to do this is inspiring.

The book is
generally in layman's terms and is easy to follow - there were occassions when it completely lost me
(the model they used to analyse the spread of mtDNA in modern day europe was completely over my head
- a square - apparently, but I couldn't see how it worked). Also the magnifying factor for making
DNA replicate faster was not easy to understand. Luckily, neither is necessary to understand in
detail, so much as in theory. However mostly the process' and the paths he followed were easy to
comprehend.

Sykes writes well, which makes this a good read. The highs and the lows of
his research, how he and his team thought up new processes, supported their research and finally
became the accepted norm.

I also really enjoyed the last part which went into fiction
of what these first 7 clan mothers lived like. He clearly has used archaeological research into
these periods and probably finds, to colour these accounts. I felt they brought out just how life
was in their time. What they ate, how they lived, the dangers, the possible culture, their life and
their deaths. These 7 women did not all live at the same time, and all 7 represent a differnt
region. They were spread from 45,000 to 20,000 years ago and from 7 different places in Europe.
However it is there mtDNA which now dominates Europe - almost all the population is descended
through their mother from one of these 7 women.

Highly recommended reading, an
approachable, lively scientific read for the non-scientist

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Summary: Mitochondria
Comment: For those who have never heard of mitochondria and who have but a vague concept of DNA, there's a
world out there needs exploring. For that you could get no better guide than Bryan Syles, professor
of genetics at Oxford University. An able writer (once a journalist), Sykes is the world expert on
what it all means. What it means is that all women are intimately related to the first woman maybe
100,000 years ago and Sykes can tell which of the seven mostly geographical areas her seven major
daughters came from by looking at the DNA in her mitochondria.
Mitochondria are the
filaments in each cell which convert oxygen and nutrients into energy. Whether you're a boy or girl,
the source for all your mitochondria came only from your mother. If you're a boy you can't pass it
on even to your daughters because sperm, with all its other genes, carries but only enough
mitochondria to get it from here to there and then it's used up and gone. Neither do mitochondria
change much because the only source of change to its DNA (its controlling code) is the highly
occasional mutation which distinguished one of the seven daughters from the others.
If
you have the slightest interest in genetics, you could not find a better wealth of comprehension in
a more palatable form. In addition you come to know the internal political perils of science as well
as its greater reach. You learn something from this man.

Customer Rating:

Summary: An easy to read genetics book!
Comment: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which was a total surprise. If you had told me a few weeks ago that
I would be devouring a book about mitochondrial DNA and its role in tracing human evolution, I would
have laughed. But this book is extremely easy to read. Sykes' narrative style, which includes a
discussion of the complicated science of genetics but framed in stories of how he has used science
to solve mysteries, makes it very easy to follow what he's saying and to actually learn about this
exciting area of science.

I loved the research projects he discussed in the first part
of the book, including testing the Romanovs and exploring the origins of native Polynesians. I agree
with a friend of mine who also read this and thought that the book is actually *less* interesting
when he gets into the hypothetical biographies of the Seven Daughters themselves.

But
overall, I have been recommending this book to everyone I know. It even came in handy as I was at a
discussion group focusing on the topic of intelligent design, and I was able to speak intelligently
about what I'd learned about human evolution through Sykes and his research.

Customer Rating:

Summary: The Seven Daughters of Eve
Comment: Excellent book. Written so a lay person can understand it.

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