Neanderthal Man: In Search of Lost Genomes

A well written scientific research in a very simplified way. You need not to be a geneticist to understand it. Thanks to Svante for bringing this complicated subject in public domain for all to understand and know about it. Also, Svante has presented it in a very interesting way so it doesn't becomes boring.

I just finished reading a book looking under the hood of Wall Street's engine. This book takes a look under the hood of a top science lab's engine. It records Svante Paabo's efforts to decipher the Neanderthal genome in order to determine its status relative to the human genome. So it gives you a look at the research, the researchers, and the findings.Starting with the research, Paabo goes into significant depth regarding the methods used in his studies. It's not so much technical minutia that the reader gets bored, but it does highlight his cautious and conscientious approach (most of the time) to his studies. There's quite a bit as well on the art of publication. However, one should note that Paabo was blessed with great luck in choosing the right topic at the right time. Combined with his efforts and abilities, that made him a top-ranked researcher, with frequent publications in the top journals (Science and Nature). Most researchers don't have the ability to have back-and-forth emails with the editors of those journals courting them for their paper. That's a real luxury, and life at the top has somewhat skewed Paabo's bias about what scientific discovery is like to most researchers. Still, he's essentially humble about his position, so it's not complete hubris. More like a bias. That is, I must admit, interesting to read about for anyone interested in the enterprise of science.There is also quite a bit on the various researchers who work with him, as well as about himself. So we get a glimpse of the different kinds of personalities attracted to this research. We also get to see what it takes to get people to work together, how to form research and funding collaborations, and how to end those collaborations. So it's another very useful guide to practical science.Finally, we get the data. Paabo's group was the first to find and clone Neanderthal DNA. Starting with mitochondiral DNA (an independent set of DNA instructions that's easier to find than nuclear DNA) and then ending up with remarkable nuclear DNA samples. These data allow us to answer questions such as how close Neanderthals are to modern humans, how much mixing was there between those two species, when/where did this mixing happen, and once we get a better understanding of the human genome, what the differences in those DNA mean for modern humans.All in all then, this is a very interesting book for anyone interested in the practice of science or the data surrounding Neanderthal DNA. I'd give it four stars for that. But if you're interested in both (like I am), then this is a really rare look under the hood of an exciting research lab, its members, and its findings. So for that, I'm giving if five stars.

I don't want to repeat others (favourable!) reviews with which I agree wholeheartedly. But I was impressed with the thorough and detailed way with which the development and progress over the years was presented, and the excellent scientific background to his work. I found the personal aspects usually relevant in highlighting how dedicated the author is to his research. The description of all the setbacks and difficulties, and their resolution, added greatly to the impact of the 'story'.It's also gives a very useful and interesting insight into project and person management and control, at a very practical level, without being boring (at least to me).The over-riding impression I came away with was how good this book is in showing how false is the question sometimes raised by doubters "how can scientists possibly know/prove that from such scant evidence (like a tiny piece of bone)?" Unfortunately such people would soon get bored with the great detail needed to show how reasonable the conclusions are, so would never be 'converted'. Practical, down to earth, science at its best in my opinion.

Este libro describe el formidable avance tecnológico que ha permitido descifrar el genoma de antiguas formas de humanos, en este caso del hombre de Neanderthal y de sus relacionados los Denisovanos, a partir de pequeñas muestras de huesos fósiles. Ello ha demostrado sin ambigüedad posible que todos nosotros conservamos en nuestras células genes de estos antiguos hombres y que por lo tanto son parte de nuestros antecesores. Esta tecnología abre vías insospechadas hasta hace poco a los estudios de la paleontología y la antropología.El libro se lee casi como una novela detectivesca, sin menoscabo de la parte científica, que está tratada con pleno rigor. Ello era de esperar al ser el autor el investigador principal del proyecto que ha llevado a cabo estos "tours de force" científicos. El estilo es ágil y el lector se engancha rápidamente a la historia. Un cierto conocimiento de biología ha de permitir al lector un más pleno disfrute de la aventura que ha supuesto esta investigación, pero ello no es imprescindible para entender la magnitud del desafío que ha supuesto el desciframiento de estos genomas y el significado que tienen para comprender nuestra historia y averiguar lo que hace únicos a los humanos modernos. Recomiendo muy vivamente este libro a todos lo que estén interesados en la historia y la naturaleza del hombre, así como en entender el modo en que se realizan los avances tecnológicos y se desarrolla la investigación científica.

98℃、55℃、37℃の3つの恒温槽を用意し、サンプルに酵素を加えながら手動！でチューブを動かし、30サイクルのPCRを行う。これが1985年頃、若き著者がエジプトミイラから得たDNAを増幅する実験手順でした。その後、分子生物学の研究環境が発展する過程と、Paeaebo氏の研究者としての成長過程がシンクロナイズし、分子人類学という学問分野が確立していくのです。見事としか言いようがありません。PCRは機械化され、シークエンサーが登場し、解析に使われるコンピューターの処理能力が上がると、必要な研究資金も莫大になりましたが、勢いのあるラボには優秀な人材もお金も集まるのですね！ヨーロッパの洞窟での骨の発掘、数万年前の骨や歯からのDNAの抽出は、現在も骨の折れる作業です。Pure NeanderthalのDNAが3％も含まれていれば大満足、残りは細菌らのDNAという厳しい条件は今も変わらず。Paeaeboラボの、25年以上にわたる職人技の積み重ねが重要なのでした。ネアンデルタール人と現生人類の遺伝子の相違を、SNPｓを用いて解析するくだりは、ラボオリジナルのプログラミングソフト中のプロセスのため、分りにくかったです。最後の章で、アジアユーラシアの現代人の中に、ネアンデルタール人と共通のHLAハプロタイプを持つ人がいる、との記載の方が具体的で、印象的でした。かつて「ミイラと分子生物学なんて、趣味の世界」と周囲の研究者に揶揄されても、少年時代、エジプト考古学者を夢見たPaeaebo氏の熱意は冷めることはありませんでした。才能あふれるPaeaebo少年をエジプト旅行に連れ出したお母さん、有難うございました。ヨーロッパの教育の厚みが垣間見えたように思います。ドイツで初めて発掘されたネアンデルタール人を、今回ドイツの研究所が解析したのは、応援団ががっちりしていたからなのですね。だから、この本のドイツ語版の題名はふるっています、「ネアンデルタール人と私たち」。ドイツ語は易しい単語以外解らず、日本語訳を買うと結論を早く知りたくて飛ばし読みをしてしまうので、英語版を選びました。ときどきAha!体験ができる、夢も実もある本でした。