An Introduction to Molecular Anthropology

Organized into three major sections, An Introduction to Molecular Anthropology, 2nd Edition first covers basic aspects of genetics, how evolution influences genes; and how genes themselves evolve. The second section provides an overview of the different kinds of genetic variation in humans, and how this variation is analyzed and used to make evolutionary inferences. This section now includes advances in current technologies as well as an expansion on the ethical issues concerning the sampling of ancient DNA. The third section presents updated knowledge concerning the genetic evidence for human origins, the spread of humans around the world, the role of selection and adaptation in human evolution, and the impact of culture on human genetic variation. A final, concluding chapter discusses future developments within molecular anthropology in the genomics era, including the latest advances from functional genomics in identifying important genetic changes during human evolution. An Introduction to Molecular Anthropology is an invaluable resource for students studying human evolution, biological anthropology, or molecular anthropology, as well as a reference for anthropologists and anyone else interested in the genetic history of humans.

Mark Stoneking, PhD, (retired) was a Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, and an Honorary Professor of Biological Anthropology at the University of Leipzig. He now holds an Emeritus research position at the University of Lyon and the CNRS Laboratory in Biometry and Evolutionary Biology in Lyon, France.