DNA for Archaeologists

DNA for Archaeologists

Elizabeth Matisoo Smith ; K. Ann Horsburgh 2012 200 pp Left Coast Press Inc. Hardback (ISBN 978-1-59874-680-8) Paperback (ISBN978-1-59874-681-5) eBook (978-1-61132-482-2) (from http://www.lcoastpress.com/book.php?id=388)

Blurb:

The ability to use DNA evidence is revolutionizing our understanding of the past. This book introduces archaeologists to the basics of DNA research so they can understand the powers and pitfalls of " Given the impact that molecular biology has had on many fields, a basic understanding of its foundations and potential is important for a broad audience. The purpose of this book is to serve as a primer on the nature of DNA for archaeologists. Anthropologist Matisoo-Smith and anatomy professor Horsburgh (both, Univ. of Otago, New Zealand) first provide a very basic review of the biology of modern DNA. They then turn to a discussion of its survival in ancient remains (aDNA), and some of its potential applications. These include human paleontology, understanding the origins and dispersals of modern human populations, and the impact that this has had on flora and fauna, e.g., domestications and extinctions, and the history of human infectious diseases. The book should appeal to a broader range of readers than the title might suggest, including nonspecialists and general readers with interests in evolution, paleopathology, molecular biology, and anthropology. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. "

Reviews

There is a review on-line here: http://academia.edu/2910798/Review_of_DNA_for_Archaeologists_by_R.G._Klein