About this item
In 2001, scientists were finally able to determine the full human genome sequence, and with the discovery began a genomic voyage back in time. Since then, we have sequenced the full genomes of a number of mankind's primate relatives at a remarkable rate. The genomes of the common chimpanzee (2005) and bonobo (2012), orangutan (2011), gorilla (2012), and macaque monkey (2007) have already been identified, and the determination of other primate genomes is well underway. Researchers are beginning to unravel our full genomic history, comparing it with closely related species to answer age-old questions about how and when we evolved. For the first time, we are finding our own ancestors in our genome and are thereby gleaning new information about our evolutionary past.
About the Author
Dr. Eugene E. Harris is a molecular anthropologist with a background in both genetics and anatomical evolution. He is Professor of Biology at the City University of New York and is an affiliated researcher with the Center for the Study of Human Origins at New York University. He has conducted genetic research on the evolutionary relationships among African baboons and their close relatives - the mangabeys, mandrills and geladas. This research led to the widespread appreciation amongst anthropologists that anatomical features can be potentially misleading when reconstructing the evolutionary trees of our ancestors. Eugene Harris is also one of the earliest researchers to collect and analyze nuclear DNA sequences to study the evolution and origins of modern humans. His research also includes the study of genetic variation in howler monkeys from the Atlantic Coastal Forest in Brazil. Dr. Harris publishes in scientific journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Molecular Biology and Evolution, Current Biology, Journal of Human Evolution, American Journal of Physical Anthropology and others. His teaching includes courses in human evolution, human anatomy and physiology and musculoskeletal function.
