Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project
Spencer Wells
Introduction
What accelerated and limited the pace of work in the Human Genome Project?
What was different about the thinking of Wells and his colleagues?
How was genetics different than “big science”?
Why is Wells on a “race against the clock”?
What is happening to languages around the world and how is this related to the loss of distinct genetic
lineages?
6. Using the information in this chapter, explain the differences between the Human Genome Project and
the Genographic Project?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Vocabulary:
Zeitgeist
“Genie”
HGP
Genetic Anthropology
Indigenous People
Anthropologists
Deep Ancestry
Chapter 1: The Block
What pull does Wells say that many people feel?
What does Wells mean when he says “melting pot”? How do melting pots affect genetic research?
Describe the largest migration in human history.
What is the second most popular hobby in the US? Does this surprise you?
What events in Well’s life shaped the face of his career?
Wells states how many genes are found in the typical human cell, this book was written in 2007. Do
some quick research online to see if his data are still accepted.
7. Does all DNA have an important job?
8. What analogy does Wells use to describe the copying of DNA?
9. Do mutations occur often? What are mutations responsible for?
10. What is bionomial nomenclature? Who established this field of biology and what groupings did he use
for humans?
11. Write the correct name for humans using the system of bionomial nomenclature: ________________
12. Explain the work of Karl Landsteiner.
13. What did the work of Richard Lewontin mean for the field of genetics?
14. What assumptions did Cavalli-Sforza and Anthony Edwards make before constructing their family
trees?
15. What slowed down the progress of evolutionary genetics?
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Vocabulary:
Evolutionary Genetics
Natural Selection
Adaptation
Demography
Junk DNA
Morphology
Polymorphisms
Anecdotal
Presaging
Chapter 2: Odine’s Story – The Exception
1. Who is Odine and how is he possibly related to Thomas Jefferson?
2. What role did France play on the world scene in the 18th century?
3. Who were people likely to marry if they lived in France during the 18th century? What language were
they likely to be speaking?
4. What effect does marrying people who live very near you have on the genetics of the local population?
5. What kind of relationships existed in the Hapsburg family? What was the visual evidence of this?
6. Why does a recombination of human DNA occur?
7. Explain in detail the steps taken to isolate and sequence DNA.
8. Once DNA is isolated, how did the researchers know what to look for?
9. How has PCR revolutionized genetic research?
10. How are variations (mutations) on the Y-chromosome notated?
11. What would the designation M43-positive mean about someone’s DNA.
12. Explain the unusual markers found in Odine’s (Jefferson’s) DNA.
13. How does the goal of the Genographic Project differ from that of the FBI in collecting DNA?
14. Has the Project been successful in collecting DNA of indigenous peoples?
15. What are the 7 main haplogroups groups found in Europe and which regions do they represent?
Vocabulary:
Currents
Milieu
Demographers
Inertia
Penchant
Endogamous
Cheek Scraper
Haplotype Blocks
Vagries
Recombination
Haplogroups
PCR
Crux
Lineage
Ruddy
Chapter 3: Margaret’s Story – The Hearth
1. Who is Margaret? From where did she come?
2. Who is Linnaeus and what did he contribute to the field of biology?
3. How did the work of Darwin enhance the work of Linnaeus?
4. Describe mtDNA and the differences it has from nuclear DNA.
5. How is mtDNA inherited?
6. How can genetic diversity be used as a “clock” to determine how old a linage group is within a clan?
7. Do older or younger clans have more members, why?
8. How long ago did the founder of the J clan live? When did members of this clan enter into Europe?
9. Why does Wells think people began moving into Europe 10,000 years ago?
10. What other field works closely with the field genetics to piece together how people moved throughout
the world?
11. Why did humans eventually abandon the hunter-gather existence over time?
12. What did farming do to human populations? Are there disadvantages to farming?
13. Describe the two conflicting views as to how farming spread throughout Europe, which was ultimately
proven to be correct?
14. How did global temperatures affect the spread of the J clan?
15. Does the mtDNA data correspond with the Y chromosome data?
16. Do mtDNA and Y chromosomes mutate at the same rate?
17. What is genetic stuttering?
18. What explanations does Wells have for the fact that R1a1 has no mtDNA counterpart?
19. How did climate affect the clans of ancient Europe and the Middle East?
20. In Chapter 3, Wells discusses both immigration and emigration. Using another source explain the
difference between these two term.
Vocabulary:
mtDNA
monera
prescient
chimeras
Bedouins
Interdisciplinary
Middens
Neolithic revolution
Phylogeography
Variant
Microsatellites
Climatological
Niches
Refugia Hypothesis
Eked
Chapter 4: Phil’s Story – The Ice
1. Who is Phil and where did his ancestors come from? Did the results from the Genographic Project
correspond with his own personal beliefs?
2. Why are aspens so remarkable? What does this have to do with genetics?
3. What is “almost always correct” in science?
4. Why do scientists have to use computers when comparing more than 3 or 4 people?
5. What happened around 16,000 years ago?
6. What adaptations and advancements allowed humans to move into Siberia about 20,000 years ago?
7. List what you know about the father of haplogroup Q.
8. Describe the migration into the Americas.
9. What is the difference between the law of large numbers and sampling error? When does each
exist/occur?
10. Does the modern European (or American) population follow the law of large numbers? Why or why
not?
11. Did the bands of people migrating into the Americas follow the law of large numbers? How did these
impact characteristics within these populations?
12. How did Wells determine where/when M45 lived?
13. How distantly was Columbus related to the Native Americans he encountered when coming to the new
world?
14. Where/when did M9 live?
15. Was it easier to map out connections between Y-chromosome data and mtDNA data in the Americas,
Europe or Asia? Explain.
16. Who was already living in Europe when humans got there?
17. Are Neanderthals the ancestors of modern humans? If not, what happened to them?
18. What explains the vast phenotypic differences between Asians, Europeans and Indians?
Vocabulary:
Microclimate
Topography
Superclans
Parsimony (Theory of Parsimony)
Hypervariable
Culling
Terra Incognita
En masse
Sampling Error
Genetic Drift
Macrohaplogroups
Murkier
Eked
Consummate
Ensconced
Lithe
Overwintering
Enclaves
Sexual selection
Chapter 5: Virumandi’s Story – The Beach
1.
2.
3.
4.
Who is Virumandi? Where did his ancestors come from?
What kind of “key role” does Central Asia play in the larger story of human migration?
What continent holds the older evidence for our distant ancestors?
Explain how/when Homo erectus, Neanderthals and Homo sapiens spread throughout the world.
(Remember that Homo sapiens did this twice!)
5. Why are artifacts easier to study than human tissues and bones?
6. Art is something unique to the human species, go online and find two pictures of early art, print them off
and bring them in for credit on the Chapter 5 discussion day.
7. How can old art be dated?
8. Australians live relatively close to Asia, why is their DNA so different than their Asian neighbors?
9. What is RPS4Y?
10. Why did early humans leave Africa in the first place?
11. Once they were established in Asia, how long did it take humans to spread throughout that landmass?
What clans were here?
12. Who was the first man to show M168 and why is he considered important?
13. Who was L3a and why was she considered important?
Vocabulary:
Sherd
Hominid
Rock Art
Optical Luminescence
Paelolithic
Interglacial
Aborigines
Chapter 6: Julius’s Story – The Cradle
1. Who is Julius? Where did his ancestors come from?
2. Why do we no longer see many hunter-gather tribes around the world?
3. Wells says that, “Vocal communication is one of the most difficult things we do.” Does this mean that
the clicking languages found in Africa are simpler than more modern languages?
4. What two developments lead to a more advanced hominid called humans?
5. What is the likely reason our ancestors became bipedal?
6. What is the “Great Leap Forward”?
7. What do we learn about haplogroup B?
8. How can DNA be used as a tool to study the languages used by early humans?
9. What similarities do the San Bushman and the Hadzabe have? Are these connections significant?
10. Does the mtDNA data correlate with Y chromosome date in Africa?
11. Do all Africans have similar DNA?
12. Carefully explain why/how skin color has changed over the past 50,000 years. Why/when is darker skin
beneficial? Why/when is lighter skin beneficial?
13. When did a mitochondrial “Eve” live?
14. When did a Y chromosome “Adam” live?
15. Why was the mtDNA studied more intensively than the Y chromosome?
16. Explain the differences in the dates for “Adam” and “Eve”. Be sure to discuss variance in reproductive
success.
17. How many generations of humans have existed on this planet? Evolutionarily, is this a short or long
amount of time?
Vocabulary:
Pre-agricultural
Anachronism
Vocalizations
Syntax
Alu element
Maasai
Pygmies
Epicanthic fold
Melanin
Coalescence points
Epilogue: The Future of the Genographic Project
1. How many samples were taken to compile the information found in this novel? Scientifically is this
project over? Explain using your knowledge of the scientific method, theories and laws.
2. Choose a question from one member of Wells’ team. Using the internet research the question and see
what advances have been make in the last three years since this book was published.
3. Is the Genographic Project finished?
4. What was the Human Genome Diversity Project? Why was it unsuccessful and how did the
Genographic Project learn and grow from these mistakes?
Vocabulary:
Oceania