Over the last twenty years, genetics has become an extremely powerful exploratory tool that sheds new light on the history of humanity. It allows us to analyze an individual’s genome, compare it with populations all over the world, then place it in the historical context of migrations across continents. We are living through an ongoing revolution in knowledge.Here one of the scientists at the forefront of this research, biologist Lluis Quintana-Murci reveals how population genetics has led to major discoveries. We now know that Homo Sapiens freely mixed with other human species which allowed them to adapt to new environments. By mixing with the Denisovans, the Tibetans acquired their genetic ability to live at high altitudes, while mixing with the Neanderthals allowed the first Europeans to withstand cold and survive pathogens, particularly viruses. New studies have also shown that we have multiple genetic ancestors: our maternal ancestors lived in East Africa while our paternal ancestors came from South Africa.Tracing the long odyssey of migrations that led to the settlement of all continents, Quintana-Murci shows that without diversity, without difference, there is no evolution. We are the product of our past, of these journeys across the globe, of our adaptation to the environment and our constant mixing with other populations. These cutting-edge findings will also shape our future as they offer the key to medicine tailored to individuals.Filled with fascinating insights from the front line of research, Human Peoples is a pioneering guide to the ground-breaking science of our past.

Human Peoples: On the Genetic Traces of Human Evolution, Migration and Adaptation PDF

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