Neanderthal Man: In Search of Lost Genomes, by Svante Pääbo
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Neanderthal Man: In Search of Lost Genomes, by Svante Pääbo
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ONE OF AMAZON'S TOP 100 BOOKS OF 2014Neanderthal Man tells the story of geneticist Svante Pääbo’s mission to answer this question: what can we learn from the genomes of our closest evolutionary relatives? Beginning with the study of DNA in Egyptian mummies in the early 1980s and culminating in the sequencing of the Neanderthal genome in 2010, Neanderthal Man describes the events, intrigues, failures, and triumphs of these scientifically rich years through the lens of the pioneer and inventor of the field of ancient DNA. We learn that Neanderthal genes offer a unique window into the lives of our hominid relatives and may hold the key to unlocking the mystery of why humans survived while Neanderthals went extinct. Pääbo’s findings have not only redrawn our family tree, but recast the fundamentals of human history—the biological beginnings of fully modern Homo sapiens, the direct ancestors of all people alive today.
Neanderthal Man: In Search of Lost Genomes, by Svante Pääbo- Amazon Sales Rank: #76387 in Books
- Brand: Paabo, Svante
- Published on: 2015-03-24
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.10" h x .90" w x 5.40" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 288 pages
From Booklist As Pääbo tells it, sequencing the genome of Neanderthal man seems to have been about equally fascinating and frustrating. Fortunately, fascination predominated, and ultimate success was reported in 2010 and closely followed by the sequencing of another progenitor of modern humans. The frustration that dogged the project arose from the difficulty of finding Neanderthal fossils with enough DNA left in them to reconstruct the genome, and the constant need to expel contamination by modern human DNA, which, since it highly resembles Neanderthal DNA, routinely corrupts sequencing the latter. The tale Pääbo tells is largely one of technological improvement enabling the elimination of contamination and speeding up the sequencing process. Secondarily, it’s about creating scientific foundations and multinational scientific cooperation to pursue the promises of research into ancient DNA, including that of nonhuman species as well as hominins. Although he never mentions it, Pääbo is the acknowledged founder of ancient DNA research. Instead, he sparingly recounts his personal odyssey from homosexuality to marriage and fatherhood, without relating it to his work, which may perplex some readers. --Ray Olson
Review “Neanderthal Man opens with this episode [when Pääbo and his team first sequenced Neanderthal DNA], and it’s a nice touch by Pääbo, bringing us straight to the moment when his long, painstaking effort to tease ancient DNA out of hominin fossils yielded its first dramatic results.”—David Quammen, Harper's“Pääbo has provided us with a fabulous account of three decade of research into ancient DNA, culminating in 2010 with the publication of the Neanderthal genome.... Pääbo’s book has to be compared to The Double Helix (1968), James Watson’s brilliant but controversial account of how the structure of DNA was discovered. When taken together they provide an insight into how bio-molecular science has both changed and remained much the same during the last half-century. Both are strong personal accounts of scientific discovery, exposing how science is driven as much by passion, ambition, and competition as by rational thought and the sharing of knowledge. In both books the reader is gripped by life stories of far greater interest than those in may novels before being plunged into passages of near-unintelligible science (despite much simplification) that are nevertheless strangely enthralling.”—Steven Mithen, New York Review of Books“This is the fascinating account of Svante Pääbo’s efforts to sequence Neanderthal nuclear DNA.... [H]is personal story, from graduate to world-renowned scientist, make this a very enjoyable book.... The study of Neanderthals has kept palaeontologists occupied for more than a century, but Pääbo convinces us that decoding their DNA will provide insights into how different we are from them and what makes us so unique.”—BBC Focus“[An] engaging book.... Neanderthal Man is devoted–and devoted is definitely the word–to the years-long ancient DNA project to sequence the Neanderthal genome. Pääbo and his far-flung team did that to an accuracy that exceeds most of the contemporary genomes being sequenced today.... Before I read Neanderthal Man, I thought I knew something about contamination of ancient DNA. In fact, though, I had no clue. No matter how well informed you are about genetics, Svante Pääbo will teach you things.”—Tabitha Powledge, PLOS Blogs / On Science Blogs“I came for the cavemen, but I stayed for the geeky nail-biter of a story about doing historic science in a climate of fierce international competition and rapid technological innovation.... Truth be told, DNA sequencing is pretty wonky stuff, but perhaps it’s Pääbo’s own passionate investment in the undertaking that makes his story so exciting to read about; Neanderthal Man does for paleogenetics something like what Steven Spielberg did for the legislative process in Lincoln.... [T]his book is a vibrant testimonial to what might be the greatest creation of modern humans: the scientific method.”—Laura Miller, Salon“Much of Pääbo’s book is devoted to the details of the difficulties [of extracting DNA from ancient bones], and how they were overcome by an awesome combination of technology, ingenuity and persistence. It’s a story of how modern high-concept science is done, shot through with the crackle of problem-solving and the hum of project tension, with occasional riffs of annoyance about major scientific journals and people who want dinosaur DNA.”—The Independent (UK)“[A]n excellent glimpse into how modern science proceeds as a global, social activity.... Pääbo has to navigate through collaborators and competitors (including people who spend time in both categories), guardians of the bones he wants to grind into dust, touchy issues of nationalism, and more. In the process, he helps found a new research institute and builds a team dedicated to studying ancient DNA. If anyone doubts that science is a social activity, the doubt won’t survive reading this book.... Pääbo paints a picture of how a major scientific advance rose out of a mix of politics, persuasion, careful management, and struggles with technology and technique. For that alone, it’s valuable.”—Ars Technica“If there is one name associated with ancient DNA, it is Svante Pääbo.... Pääbo pioneered and has largely led the field for the past three decades. His book, Neanderthal Man, is perfectly timed, beautifully written and required reading—it is a window onto the genesis of a whole new way of thinking.”—Nature“If Pääbo weren’t such a good storyteller, the book might have bogged down with descriptions of things like the different techniques of polymerase chain reaction, and all it takes to build a clean lab. But he’s a clever enough writer to keep the reader’s attention with a fast-paced story and wonderful details.”—23andMe blog“This is a fascinating story of how modern science and especially computer technology is opening vistas onto our prehistoric history.”—The Explorers Journal“Pääbo provides a fascinating look at how his personal life intersected with the founding of a scientific field that has revolutionized evolution.”—Science News“In Neanderthal Man, Svante Pääbo offers readers a front-row seat to the still-unfolding understanding of this enigmatic human ancestor by recounting his own years of work.... Pääbo quite candidly relays the doubts and challenges that accompanied more than a decade of discovery—a labor that elevated Neanderthals from troglodyte brutes inhabiting a dead-end branch of the human family tree to a complex species that interbred with other hominins, including Homo sapiens. Never one to shy away from provocative statements or even-more-provocative research, Pääbo gives what appears to be an honest and open account of his pioneering studies of Neanderthal genetics.”—The Scientist“Evolutionary biologists are, general, pretty interesting people to talk to, but rarely would you describe their lives as thrilling. The notion of combining an autobiography with a popular science book may therefore not seem especially compelling. However, in this case both the author and the science are quite extraordinary, and inextricably linked.”—Evening Standard (UK)“Pääbo’s tale describes a process approaching the Platonic Idea of contemporary science: a lot of very smart people collaboratively working their butts off, persisting through mistakes and failures and numbingly repetitive but essential tasks and political machinations and technological inadequacies because they believe the Truth is Out There. And finally finding it. Others have not yet weighed in, and this being top-level and therefore monumentally competitive science, contrarians may well emerge. But if the Neanderthal genome project was anything like what Pääbo describes, we are damn lucky.”—Tabitha Powledge, Genetic Literacy Project“Pääbo passionately chronicles his personal story, from graduate school through the culmination of the Neanderthal project 30 years later, and the scientific implications of this exciting research.... In accessible prose, Pääbo presents the science so that laypersons will understand the nature and import of his work. But it’s his discussion of the scientific process that steals the show.... He discusses what it took to build a case tight enough to convince even the most skeptical of colleagues and he goes on to demonstrate that scientific knowledge is cumulative and ever-evolving.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review“[A] revealing glimpse into the inner workings of scientific research.... Since Neanderthals are our closest evolutionary relatives, the author’s work in decoding Neanderthal DNA gives scientists a way to understand how we differ genetically from them and offers the opportunity to learn what genetic changes have made humans unique on this planet.”—Kirkus Reviews"The tale Pääbo tells is largely one of technological improvement enabling the elimination of contamination and speeding up the sequencing process. Secondarily, it’s about creating scientific foundations and multinational scientific cooperation to pursue the promises of research into ancient DNA, including that of nonhuman species as well as hominins.”—Booklist“It is a rare thing to read about an important development in science by its principal innovator, written in the spirit and style in which the research unfolded. Neanderthal Man is a dispatch from the front, and if you want to learn how real science is really done, I suggest you read it.”—Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor, Emeritus, Harvard University“Svante Pääbo’s Neanderthal Man is the incredible personal story of one man’s quest for our human origins using the latest genome sequence tools. Pääbo takes us through his exciting journey to first extract DNA from ancient bones then sequence it to give us the first real glance at our human ancestors, and showing ultimately that early humans and Neanderthals interbred to produce modern humans. This is science at its best and reinforces that contained in each of our genomes is the history of humanity.”—J. Craig Venter, Chairman and President, J. Craig Venter Institute“Svante Pääbo, a major architect in the study of paleo-DNA, has written a personal, insightful and sometimes very frank book about his relentless quest to understand the human family tree. The first scholar to extract genetic material from Neanderthals, Pääbo writes candidly about the seemingly insurmountable trials and tribulations he had to overcome to give us intriguing new insights into human origins.”—Donald Johanson, Founding Director of the Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, and author of Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind“Problem by problem, solution by solution, Paäbo’s gripping account of the discovery of our relationship with Neanderthals brilliantly conveys the thrill and reality of today’s big science and the excitement of a major breakthrough.”—Richard Wrangham, Professor of Biological Anthropology, Harvard University, and author of Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human
About the Author Svante Pääbo is the founder of the field of ancient DNA. The director of the department of genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Pääbo has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, National Geographic, and The Economist, as well as on NPR, PBS, and BBC. In 2009 Time named him one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Pääbo lives in Leipzig, Germany.
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82 of 84 people found the following review helpful. Decoding the genomes of our extinct relatives! By Sam Santhosh With the completion of the full human genome sequence in 2003 and the rapid fall in DNA sequencing costs over the subsequent 10 years, we have been awaiting major advancements in many fields such as Healthcare, Agriculture, Drug Discovery and so on. However, the progress has been slow and the deluge of genome sequence data has been a tough problem to handle.But, Svante Paabo in this fascinating book on the 'Neanderthal Man' shows how the new technologies have enabled him to sequence the genomes of our extinct relatives - the Neanderthals and the Denisovans. The data proves how our ancestors moved out of Africa about 50,000 years back and interbred to a small extent (2 to 7% of our genes come from them) with the Neanderthals and Denisovans and maybe drove them to extinction. Many interesting facts come out of these studies such as, (a) that gene flow seems to have been from the Neanderthals to us (and not the other way), (b) the founding population of the Neanderthals also seems to have pretty small like in the case of the humans (c) we split from the Neanderthals about 500,000 years back (d) the Denisovans split about 1 million years back (e) the Denisovans seem to be closer to the Neanderthals than to humans, and much more...The book is not only fun to read, but Paabo's detective mode of story telling will also keep the reader focused. By mixing his personal stories with scientific research, Paabo provides a refreshing frankness to the narrative. We get a direct view of the challenges in scientific research and how the role of institutional support and adequate funding can make research a success. Paabo's journey from Egyptian mummies to Mammoths, to Sloths and finally the Neanderthals and Denisovans is a great inspiration to all students of science. He shows how passion, perseverance, attention to detail, and collaboration can deliver results not only in Science but in all aspects of life.Paabo explains the Science very clearly and the narrative shows us how he has become the world's expert in 'ancient DNA'. But in order to do that he often has to go into intricate details of lab work which some readers might find difficult to follow. Still it will not affect the story and if you are interested to learn how we became what we are, this is a book that you should not miss.
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful. Great Read on Discovering "Old" DNA By Dr. Terrence McGarty The Neanderthal Man, by Svante, is a compelling recount by a principal in the discovery of genes of the Neanderthals. It starts with the interest in recovering DNA from old sources, and in this case some liver bought at the local market and then desiccated in an oven at 50C. The tale spans over some twenty years, with diversions typical of science, and ultimately ends with the publishing of some of the most interesting results in understanding man and his evolution.Svante is an exceptionally good writer and the tale flows quite smoothly. If one understands the science, then one can fill in the gaps and the tales is well presented. If one does not understand the science then one can still appreciate what is happening by taking the results presented at face value.The tale works back and forth from the fundamental science to the interrelationships between various players in the overall search. Svante shows how he managed to deal with the anthropologists and others to get samples of Neanderthals from as far away as Siberia. It also demonstrates some of the more cooperative nature of science as new techniques is shared and how Svante is assisted by many others who are but in related fields.The efforts span from California to Eastern Russia and it shows that in today's environment the ability to communicate changed what would have been multi-lifetime efforts into a fast paced move to provide the final answers.This book is a stark contrast to Watson's Double Helix. The Helix is a strong interplay of personalities; it portrays competitiveness and at times pettiness that is common in certain scientific endeavors. Helix was a true race, a sprint to get DNA right, and a succinct set of observations which became the underpinnings of Svante's efforts. Svante is the opposite of Watson. The ego is missing; the collegiality if present, yet one still sense the pace. Yet it is not a pace with an edge, it is a steady pace to get it right.This is definitely a great book for those seeking to understand the Neanderthal developments as well as understanding perhaps how the research community has matured as it has expanded.Also, upon some reflection, I recall when I first read Watson's Double Helix just after it was published I could recognize the highly competitive world of research since I was still at MIT. In contrast Svante portrays a totally different world, one more of communications and cooperation. The worlds of Watson and Svante are separated by some half century, and the difference is startling, one is near ruthless and the other collegial, with a sense of cooperation moving forward. Great job!
38 of 42 people found the following review helpful. Best book on this sort of subject since 'The Double Helix' By Patrick L. Boyle Some commenters here were disappointed that this book is not about Neanderthals but rather about the process of decoding the Neanderthal genome. Sorry about that - I suggest you read another book.This book has a chapter on dinosaurs too. There are no dinosaurs in that chapter and apparently there are no dinosaurs in amber either. Pääbo explains why it's so hard to get nuclear or mitochondrial DNA from fossils 'only' tens of thousands of years old. We won't be making dinosaurs the way they did in Spielberg's movie. All that dinosaur DNA has long since degraded.One of the single deepest insights this book presents is the problem of contamination. You find an ancient fossil that has human DNA in it, and you do a PCR on it, almost all of your results will be non-human. I think he found about 98% of all the DNA in one of his samples was from various forms of contamination. If a human bone is lying on the floor of a cave, every mouse, every centipede, every critter of any kind that crawls over it and every dust particle that falls on it also has DNA. So it's not surprising that laying on a dirty floor for 20,000 years contaminates your specimen.This is really a book about the actual process of science. Pääbo is a big success for a variety of reasons. Some intellectual - he's real smart - but also social. He seems to be a good supervisor and a good person. Good people want to work with him or for him. He is very far from being a recluse locked up alone in his lab. He goes to meetings and conferences around the world where he picks up contacts that help him later on. He seems to mix well with people from all walks of life. He is very non-nerdy.At one point he reaches a crisis because he need five million dollars for some machine time on a new sequencer. Pääbo writes of his dread of asking for so much money. I thought as I read this - this is real 'Big Science'. But then I thought - five million dollars isn't all that much. Almost any little solo Internet project that I dream up costs that much or more. In private industry I often had projects that size. In government I never had one that small.The point is he only had a few people working with him and he had very little access to serious money yet this is the story of one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs in the last few decades. Science is a cottage enterprise. One wonders what would be possible if we were to 'scale up'.Pääbo himself is a little confusing. He goes out of his way to explain that he is a homosexual. But he's not a typical gay man. He has a wife and has had at least one kid. This is not the normal pattern. Pääbo seems to be very mentally stable. I'm a little at a loss to understand all this. Pääbo names most of the people who have worked for him over the years. This is refreshing. Some academics attribute every discovery made in their lab to themselves personally. Pääbo goes out of his way to apportion credit. This book should be required reading for grad students who want to get ahead. It's a primer on proper behavior for a modern scientist.
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