First published 2022
Anthropologist Jennifer Raff examines how humans first reached the Americas through the lens of genetic science. Twenty thousand years ago, people crossed from Siberia into western Alaska via a massive land bridge, then spread throughout North and South America. Raff uses complete human genomes to reconstruct this migration story, revealing details that archaeological evidence and written records cannot provide. She explores competing theories about how these populations moved and settled across two continents. The book demonstrates how genetic research constructs new narratives about the past while examining its impact on contemporary Indigenous communities. Raff addresses the complex relationship between genetics and identity, particularly around the question of Indigenous status. Origin serves as an accessible guide to understanding how DNA analysis reshapes our knowledge of human history and evolution in the Americas.
Genres: history, science, anthropology, non-fiction, genetics, academic
Vibes: accessible, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: narrative-nonfiction, scientific-research
Setting: Siberia, Alaska, North America, South America
Period: 20,000 years ago
368 pages · Hardcover · Twelve