DNA
genealogy is a new field of science which considers patterns of mutations,
which are different in different human lineages, in the DNA of present-day
humans and of our ancient ancestors. Since the DNA is often preserved in
ancient excavated bones, including those in archaeological burials, and can be
recovered and studied, this approach allows us to compare the mutation patterns
in the course of centuries and millennia. This in turn provides us with a
knowledge of how often the mutations occur, that they are gradually changed
over centuries and millennia, and, hence, calibrate the rate of mutations in
various sites of the DNA in terms of time. In other words, it gives us a
“molecular tool” aiming at establishing chronology of events along the ancient
history of the humankind.
Since
the DNA is a molecule, DNA genealogy is also called the “Molecular History”.
This is a subject of this book. The book begins with an explanation of what is
a nature of mutations in the DNA, why the mutations are random, how to measure
their rates, in terms of how many mutations occur in the DNA over centuries and
millennia, therefore, to calculate their mutation rate constants. This first
part of the book provides the reader with many examples of how DNA genealogy employs
the mutation rates to uncover hidden puzzles of ancient human history, such as
when Homo sapiens first appeared, who were ancient Europeans, Asians, Africans,
Americans compared with their present-day descendants in terms of their DNA
lineages, and introduces a rather simple calculator which everyone can run on
their personal computer devices, iPhones, etc. to conduct such calculations of
ancient chronology.
Subsequent
chapters of the book consider such controversial issues as whether early people
came “out of Africa” or “into Africa” (both hypotheses have their supporters
among scientists), who were the ancient Aryans and why their language obtained
– much later – a name “Indo-European”, where was a homeland of a majority of
nowadays Europeans and Native Americans (a hint – South Siberia), who were
ancient Jews and Arabs and when their actual common ancestor lived, what DNA
was revealed from a few Khazar burials, why look-alike ancient ceramics, made
many thousand years ago, was found both in Europe and Asia, how ancient and
contemporary languages are connected with the DNA of people, both ancient and
contemporary.
The book is targeted
for multidisciplinary scientists as well as students and advanced general
readership.