Reader Trevor F. passed along this terrific website from National Geographic's Genographic Project. The Atlas of the Human Journey is a map-based exploration of human migration and evolution and an image-rich, user-friendly introduction to current understandings of the rise of Homo sapiens and the important archaeological sites of early man. A series of podcasts leads the user step-by-step out of Africa and into the New World over the last 200,000 years. Other parts of the Genographic Project include an overview of the study of genetics, and an opportunity to send your own DNA into the Genographic Project Public Participation Project.
If I were a cranky sort, I'd quibble about how you must let each of the podcasts finish before exploring the other treats on the site, or you lose your place; but not everybody is a confirmed multi-tasker anyway. All in all, The Atlas of the Human Journey is a down-right delightful way to gain an overview of evolution and migration of the human species.
The offer-to-participate portion of this project has come under some scrutiny recently, as blogger John Hawks commented in his piece last year entitled The Genographic Project.
If I were a cranky sort, I'd quibble about how you must let each of the podcasts finish before exploring the other treats on the site, or you lose your place; but not everybody is a confirmed multi-tasker anyway. All in all, The Atlas of the Human Journey is a down-right delightful way to gain an overview of evolution and migration of the human species.
The offer-to-participate portion of this project has come under some scrutiny recently, as blogger John Hawks commented in his piece last year entitled The Genographic Project.
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