An Introduction to Molecular Anthropology

A freshly updated discussion of the foundations of—and latest developments in—molecular anthropology

In the newly revised second edition of An Introduction to Molecular Anthropology, retired researcher, Dr. Mark Stoneking, delivers an essential primer on genetics and molecular anthropology. The book is an accessible resource that covers key recent developments in the production and analysis of genome-wide data that highlights advances in methods and technologies, as well as the latest findings from ancient DNA.

The updated chapters build on basic genetics and evolutionary concepts to demonstrate how to make inferences about human population history and human evolution in the genomics age. It explores how evolution influences genes, how genes evolve, the different kinds of genetic variation in humans and how they are analyzed, and the latest technologies and ethical issues that arise from the sampling of modern populations.

Readers will also find:

• A thorough introduction to the genetic evidence of human origins and the spread of humans around the world
• Comprehensive explorations of the role of selection and adaptation in human evolution
• Practical discussions of the impact of culture on human genetic variation
• Complete treatments of likely future developments within molecular anthropology in the genomics era

Perfect for anthropology students and others studying introductory human evolution, An Introduction to Molecular Anthropology will also benefit practicing anthropologists and researchers in a variety of fields that touch on this topic.

Chapter 1- Genes: How They Are Inherited

Chapter 2- What Genes Are, What They Do, And How They Do It

Chapter 3- Genes In Populations

Chapter 4- Evolutionary Forces

Chapter 5- Molecular Evolution

Chapter 6- Genetic Markers

Chapter 07- Ancient Dna

Chapter 8- Sampling Issues

Chapter 09- Analysis Of Genetic Data From Populations

Chapter 10- Analysis Of Genetic Data From Individuals

Chapter 11- Inferences About Demographic History (Part 1)

Chapter 12- Inferences About Demographic History (Part 2)

Chapter 13- Human Origins

Chapter 14- The Origins Of Our Species: Insights From Archaic Genomes

Chapter 15- Migration And Dispersal: The Colonization Of The Americas

Chapter 16- Into Even More Remote Lands: The Colonization Of Polynesia

Chapter 17- Species-Wide Selection

Chapter 18- Local Selection

Chapter 19- The Genetic Basis Of Phenotypic Variation

Chapter 20- Genes And Culture

Chapter 21- Ongoing And Future Developments In Molecular Anthropology

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.