ResearchintoPopulationGenetics对人种遗传学的研究.doc

Research into Population Genetics While not exactly a top selling book, The History and Geography of Human Genes is a remarkable collection of more than 50 years of research in population genetics. It stands as the most extensive survey to date on how humans vary at the level of their genes. The books firm conclusion: once the genes for surface features such as skin color and height are discounted, the races are remarkably alike under the skin. The variation among individuals is much greater than the differences among groups. In fact, there is no scientific basis for theories pushing the genetic superiority of any one population over another. The book, however, is much more than an argument against the latest racially biased theory. The prime mover behind the project, Luca Cavalli-Sforza, a Stanford professor, labored with his colleagues for 16 years to create nothing less than the first genetic map of the world. The book features more than 500 maps that show areas of genetic similarity — much as places of equal altitude are shown by the same color on other maps. By measuring how closely current populations are related, the authors trace the routes by which early humans migrated around the earth. Result: the closest thing we have to a global family tree. The information needed to draw that tree is found in human blood: various proteins that serve as markers to reveal a persons genetic makeup. Using data collected by scientists over decades, the authors assembled profiles of hundreds of thousands of individuals from almost 2,000 groups. And to ensure the populations were pure, the study was confined to groups that were in their present locations as of 1492, before the first major movements from Europe began — in effect, a genetic photo of the world when Columbus sailed for America. Collecting blood, particularly from ancient populations in remote areas, was not always easy; potential donors were often afraid to cooperate, or raised religious concer