Expert: John J. Shea - 9/28/2003

Question
John
Has there been any concerted effort to map ancient migrations/origins using DNA technology etc.? Are any results of such studies easily accessible to the layman?
I realise this kind of investigation cannot provide all the answers as to origins, but it would be interesting to have an idea, where, for instance, the Catal Huyuk people originated  - suggested some marshy area because of evidence of disease in skull thickening seen in human remains, possibly indicating the Persian Gulf area (so I have read) - but this may mean an area now underwater (I guess).
Any suggestions for an authoritative book on the subject of ancient migrations based on genetic evidence?
Thanks
Tony

Answer
Dear Tony
I'll recommend two books.  Brian Sykes' (2002) Seven Daughters of Eve and Steve Olsen's (2002) Mapping Human History.  They are both pitched at a popular audience and ought to point you in the direction of the primary literature, should you wish to research this topic further.  A third book, L.L. Cavalli-Sforz'sa (1996) The Great Human Diasporas, might also merit a look, but it is fairly technical and doesn't incorporate a lot of recent work in this fast-changing field.
Best wishes,
John Shea
Associate Professor
Anthropology
Stony Brook University