Relics of Eden: The Powerful Evidence of Evolution in Human DNA

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Since the publication in 1859 of Darwin's "Origin of Species", debate over the theory of evolution has been continuous and often impassioned. In recent years, opponents of 'Darwin's dangerous idea' have mounted history's most sophisticated and generously funded attack, claiming that evolution is 'a theory in crisis'. Ironically, these claims are being made at a time when the explosion of information from genome projects has revealed the most compelling and overwhelming evidence of evolution ever discovered. Much of the latest evidence of human evolution comes not from our genes, but from so-called 'junk DNA', leftover relics of our evolutionary history that make up the vast majority of our DNA."Relics of Eden" explores this powerful DNA-based evidence of human evolution. The 'relics' are the millions of functionally useless but scientifically informative remnants of our evolutionary ancestry trapped in the DNA of every person on the planet. For example, the analysis of the chimpanzee and Rhesus monkey genomes shows indisputable evidence of the human evolutionary relationship with other primates. Over 95 percent of our genome is identical with that of chimpanzees and we also have a good deal in common with other animal species. Fairbanks also discusses what DNA analysis reveals about where humans originated.The diversity of DNA sequences repeatedly confirms the archaeological evidence that humans originated in sub-Saharan Africa (the 'Eden' of the title) and from there migrated through the Middle East and Asia to Europe, Australia, and the Americas. In conclusion, Fairbanks confronts the supposed dichotomy between evolution and religion, arguing that both science and religion are complementary ways to seek truth. He appeals to the vast majority of Americans who hold religious convictions not to be fooled by the pseudoscience of Creationists and Intelligent Design advocates and to abandon the false dichotomy between religion and real science.

Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Relics of 'Eden' Reside Within Us All January 17, 2008
124 out of 132 found this review helpful

The debate over evolution in revanchist religious circles has been rabid and ribald ever since Darwin published "On the Origin of Species" in 1859. Currently, bibliolatrous neocreationists and Intelligent Design ideologues have contrived superficially plausible - to scientific illiterates at least - and generously funded PR campaigns (not science), that sophistically portray evolution as little more than moribund malarkey, desperately maintained by a vast and shadowy scientific omerta. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In "Relics of Eden: The Powerful Evidence of Human Evolution in DNA" author Daniel J. Fairbanks unleashes an avalanche of data from the Human Genome Project, and other studies, that leave biblical creationists and c-design-proponentsists (of Dover vs. Kitzmiller infamy) without a fig leaf to cower behind.

"Relics" exclusively utilizes molecular evidence in lieu of fossils and fearlessly addresses the major controversy raging on the origins front of the talibanesque culture war - human evolution and our relationship to other primates - as expressed in the DNA of every person on earth. These relics are millions of non-coding segments of DNA, snippets of our genome that eloquently document common descent with uncommon clarity and incontrovertible evidence.

From chromosomal fusion and pseudogenes to retroelements and transposons the scientific reality of evolution is discussed in articulate, accurate and engaging prose alongside carefully designed illustrations that emphasize and illuminate key points.

Specifics include detailed treatments of how human chromosome 2 resulted from the fusion of two separate chromosomes (corresponding to chimpanzee chromosomes 2A and 2B) after the lineage leading to modern humans split from the one leading to contemporary chimpanzees.

A through discussion of transposable elements, also known as transposons and retroelements (aka 'jumping genes'), such as Alu elements, HERV-K, CMT1A, and GULO provide exacting confirmation of human evolution and our ancestral affiliation with other primates.

Pseudogenes (including unitary pseudogenes, duplication pseudogenes and retropseudogenes) are covered next. Comparisons of pseudogene sequences across species reveal a consistent pattern. Human pseudogenes are most similar to those in chimpanzee DNA, and are highly similar to those of other primates. Species as divergent as rodents and humans also display some degree of ancient pseudogene similarity - additional evidence of our shared evolutionary history with kindred primates, and more distantly related mammals.

"Solving the Trichotomy" (Chapter 4) addresses the evolutionary relationship between humans, chimpanzees and gorillas. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences both show that humans and chimpanzees are more closely related to each other than either is to gorillas. Genome-wide comparison of the human and chimpanzee genomes spectacularly confirms that the genes, chromosomes, transposable elements, and pseudogenes of humans and chimpanzees are strikingly similar. As Fairbanks notes:

"Although the molecular differences constitute only a fraction of the two genomes, they are not trivial. They represent some of the most powerful evidence of common ancestry because they are fully consistent with known mechanisms of chromosome rearrangement, generation of recent transposable elements and pseudogenes, and the effects of natural selection we expect to observe in certain genes and their regulatory regions. The comparison is massive, including thousands of genes and pseudogenes, millions of transposable elements, and billions of base pairs in DNA."

Human mitochondrial DNA diversity, X-chromosome diversity, Y-chromosome diversity, and diversity of DNA sequences in all chromosomes unambiguously reveals that the cradle of humanity (the 'Eden' title reference) is located in sub-Saharan Africa, and also tracks subsequent migrations across the entire globe - initially to the Middle East and Asia, then Europe, Australia, and the Americas.

Three appendices allow readers to delve into these, and other topics, in additional detail. A comprehensive glossary and bibliography are also provided. Fairbanks has written a book that is simultaneously accessible and scientifically sophisticated - a wonderful achievement.

In the final chapter Fairbanks confronts Americans who "...still claim that evolution is a 'theory in crisis,' unsupported by solid evidence, and one that should be abandoned." He addresses "the ongoing assault on science by highly organized and well-funded groups whose political objectives are to cast doubt on the reality of evolution and to restrict or dilute it in the science curricula of public schools."

As a person of faith Fairbanks appeals to co-religionists to disavow the false dichotomy erected by fundamentalists between science (especially evolution) and religion. His spirituality is nourished by wonder and excited by exploration, not shackled by superstition or held captive by fear.

Huckabee huckleberries should embrace, not eviscerate, Fairbanks - he has written one of the most insightful popular works on human evolution in recent memory - and boldly demonstrates that scientific integrity needn't be sacrificed to religious dogma.

Other titles you might enjoy include The Last Human: A Guide to Twenty-Two Species of Extinct Humans (reviewed seperately) by G. J. Sawyer, Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body (reviewed seperately) by Neil Shuban, Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters by Donald J. Prothero, and The Age of Everything: How Science Explores the Past by Matthew Hedman.

5 out of 5 stars

Good companion piece to Shubin's Your Inner Fish February 3, 2008
53 out of 54 found this review helpful

Shubin's excellent work Your Inner Fish looks at human evolution from the perspective of paleontology and anatomy: how structures such as hearing and vision developed. Shubin shows how genetic material is such that implanting a mouse gene that triggers the growth of an eye into a fruitfly can trigger the growth of an eye--a fruitfly eye. So the basic building blocks help establish evolution. Fairbanks comes at human evolution from a different angle--genes and DNA. Where Shubin was out in the Canadian Arctic searching for fossil evidence, Fairbanks could work in a lab.

Fairbanks' interests lie in the DNA evidence: comparing human DNA with that of chimpanzees, orangutangs, and other animals. You'll gain a good understanding of transpons, retroelements, and pseudogenes, and how these can be used to analyze evolutionary processes: the evidence is as solid as fingerprints. The DNA makeup of the immediate common ancestor of both humans and chimpanzees, for example, can be deduced. Another interesting point that Fairbanks talks about is the using the diversity of current human DNA to determine human origins. The greatest diversity in the DNA of any species is at the point of origin. As people brought seeds, for example, to a new part of the world, they were bring mostly one strain--little diversity in the DNA. The greatest human diversity is in Africa: you can gather DNA and do not have to be in the field in Olduvai Gorge (the DNA work backs up Leakey's discoveries and work). Native American DNA matches most closely with Asians: this is further evidence for the land bridge and migration from Asia.

There are lots of diagrams of genes, DNA, and chromosomes to supplement a very well-written text. Fairbanks' work is a fine scientific complement to the field work of the Shubins, Leakeys, and others, and he makes a very compelling case.

5 out of 5 stars

Eye-opening evidence for common descent February 2, 2008
38 out of 38 found this review helpful

Whether Bible-believing Christians are comfortable with it or not, biological evolution is an issue that is not going away anytime soon. As the very strong case for common descent settles down upon conservative and fundamental Christianity in the coming years, many will be deeply troubled by it's implications. To dismiss the issue as inconsequential ignores the impact it will have on the faith of many. The head-in-the-sand approach of many believers who refuse to study the question, choosing to hold on to their long-held beliefs strikes me as dangerous. For this reason, I am suggesting to my friends who wish to be informed on this subject this book, Relics of Eden by Daniel J. Fairbanks.

Fairbanks, writing from his perspective as a research geneticist, lays out in layman's language some of the basic building blocks for reconstructing the history of life on our planet from DNA. He proceeds to give the reader an overview of what DNA tells us about the interrelatedness of species. I found the book easy to read, and informative. Some of the early chapters (as he develops the building blocks of genetic understanding) are somewhat technical. But the payoff comes as he demonstrates how these bits of information are used to paint a remarkably consistent picture of our past.

The principle of common descent is no longer deniable in the face of DNA evidence. Either humans share a common ancestry with all living things, or the Creator went to a great deal of trouble to make it look that way, right down to the tiniest details of our DNA. If evolution did not happen, then the Creator is a trickster and a deceiver, and all science is rendered meaningless. Relics of Eden powerfully confirms this understanding (Fairbanks describes the mounting evidence as "spectacular"). But the trail of DNA science does not stop there. Comparative DNA is like an accurate time clock, giving us strong clues regarding the "when" of various evolutionary events. This growing treasure trove of information is also being used to reconstruct the great human migrations across our planet, and to do so with a precision which has never been possible for the anthropologist before. And perhaps most significantly, DNA science today is able to trace the history and development of various diseases, and offer up new ways of combating them. It is ironic that so many who resist what DNA is telling us about the history of life on our planet are more than ready to accept the great medical advancements of our day which are based upon the same science. Modern medical science is built upon the evolutionary model.

The final two chapters consist of an appeal to both sides of what Fairbanks characterizes as a false dichotomy: that somehow faith and reason cannot co-exist. Without detailing his own beliefs, Fairbanks makes it clear that he is a man of faith who believes in God as Creator. He appeals to those who choose to perpetuate psuedo-scientific creationism and Intelligent Design to reexamine the evidence, and lay down their battle-axes. I say, "Amen!"

5 out of 5 stars

There's No Controversy April 6, 2008
14 out of 15 found this review helpful

I've been expecting a book on this subject and Fairbanks does a superb job.

Tracking fossil evidence in DNA means following the histories of mutations in non-coding DNA segments. There are several different kinds of mutations - some of them more unique than a birthmark. When mutations occur in active coding genes (>2% of the genome), an impaired embryo usually results and neither the new life-form nor the new mutation survives. The mutations that occur in most non-coding segments of DNA have no effect on the embryo, so the life-form is normal, and any mutations accumulate harmlessly in that life-form and its descendants. The earlier on the "tree of life" the mutation occurs, the more species will carry it. Our DNA is full of these gene-prints left by our ancestors.

Here's the simple version of how it works: Orangutans, gorillas, chimps, and humans all had a common ancestor. Then orangutans forked off, leaving gorillas, chimps and humans. Then gorillas forked off, leaving chimps and humans. If a mutation is not in gorillas, chimps, or humans but is in orangutans; you know the mutation happened after orangutans forked off from the common ancestor to all four. If a given mutation is in gorillas but not in the chimps, you can expect it won't be in humans, either.

With a boost from the human genome project, hundreds of species' genomes have been published in the last few years. Studying DNA sequences in species thought to be closely related shows exactly when one species branched off in relation to the other. Since you can use this method for all living things, including living species that haven't changed in 400 million years, molecular biologists are having a field day. A few species have been relocated but by and large, the tree of life painstakingly put together from fossil and geological evidence by paleontologists has been confirmed.

If you just want one good example of how to use DNA "fossil" evidence, read chapter one. Fairbanks explains with words and pictures how the 24 chromosomes of the chimp became 23 chromosomes in the human. Briefly, chimp chromosome two and three fused. The very specific chromosomal and molecular details as to what happened are there for you. Importantly, data like that is only the tip of the iceberg. With such incontrovertible documentation throughout the tree of life as recorded in DNA, I have to ask myself how any reasonable person who honestly studies this subject could doubt evolution.

In 1998, the National Academy of Sciences issued this statement, written before common usage of genome comparison: "It is no longer possible to sustain scientifically the view that living things did not evolve from earlier forms or that the human species was not produced by the same evolutionary mechanisms that apply to the rest of the living world." Now large scale experiments based on DNA analysis have spectacularly confirmed what we already knew.

Fairbanks doesn't overwhelm the reader with details of molecular biology, but those without a bit of an appropriate background might have their hands full. Even so, technical parts can be skipped without missing the point. Anyone thinking there's a controversy about evolution should read this book. As Theodosius Dobzhansky said, "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution."

DB

5 out of 5 stars

Evidence of Evolution via Genetics March 31, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

'Relics of Eden' presents a very nice summary of how current investigations in molecular biology are providing evidence for evolution. With the advent of the modern synthesis, the incorporation of genetics with Darwinian evolution, the theory of evolution is gaining additional support. Much of this new evidence comes from what Daniel Fairbanks refers to as the relics of Eden, the pseudogenes or that part of our DNA not currently being used for coding purposes. A short history describing the development of the modern synthesis is included as an appendix. Today, genetics is the major player in evolution and this book explains how this work is proceeding.

The book focuses on human evolution and the similarities and differences in our genes compared to those of chimpanzees. Not only the similarity in genes between closely, or even distantly, related species, but their differences show how modern species developed and how they are related. Although we have more than 98 percent of our DNA in common with chimpanzees, the differences are also important in showing the link and in making us who we are.

This book is a good companion book to Donald Prothero's `Evolution', which describes biological diversity in terms of the fossil record. `Relics of Eden' is well written, easy for the lay person to read and is recommended for the beginner interested in learning how we got here. A well-chosen glossary at the back of the book provides a quick reference to the definition of common terms used in the book, something I would like to see in other scientific books aimed at the lay person.

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