The very short genomes of mitochondria summarize the complexity of molecular biology and its interactions with cellular and whole organism biology. Studies of mitogenomes contribute to the understanding of molecular biology and evolution, and to health management. Despite or even due to their small sizes, mitogenomes continue to surprise us. Studies of mitogenomes reveal the details of molecular organization and its evolution under constraints for miniaturization.
The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience.Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.
DNA genealogy is a new field of science which considers patterns of mutations, which are different in different human lineages, in the DNA of present-day humans and of our ancient ancestors. Since the DNA is often preserved in ancient excavated bones, including those in archaeological burials, and can be recovered and studied, this approach allows us to compare the mutation patterns in the course of centuries and millennia. This in turn provides us with a knowledge of how often the mutations occur, that they are gradually changed over centuries and millennia, and, hence, calibrate the rate of mutations in various sites of the DNA in terms of time. In other words, it gives us a “molecular tool” aiming at establishing chronology of events along the ancient history of the humankind. Since the DNA is a molecule, DNA genealogy is also called the “Molecular History”. This is a subject of this book. The book begins with an explanation of what is a nature of mutations in the DNA, why the mutations are random, how to measure their rates, in terms of how many mutations occur in the DNA over centuries and millennia, therefore, to calculate their mutation rate constants. This first part of the book provides the reader with many examples of how DNA genealogy employs the mutation rates to uncover hidden puzzles of ancient human history, such as when Homo sapiens first appeared, who were ancient Europeans, Asians, Africans, Americans compared with their present-day descendants in terms of their DNA lineages, and introduces a rather simple calculator which everyone can run on their personal computer devices, iPhones, etc. to conduct such calculations of ancient chronology. Subsequent chapters of the book consider such controversial issues as whether early people came “out of Africa” or “into Africa” (both hypotheses have their supporters among scientists), who were the ancient Aryans and why their language obtained – much later – a name “Indo-European”, where was a homeland of a majority of nowadays Europeans and Native Americans (a hint – South Siberia), who were ancient Jews and Arabs and when their actual common ancestor lived, what DNA was revealed from a few Khazar burials, why look-alike ancient ceramics, made many thousand years ago, was found both in Europe and Asia, how ancient and contemporary languages are connected with the DNA of people, both ancient and contemporary. The book is targeted for multidisciplinary scientists as well as students and advanced general readership.
The Celtic languages and groups called Keltoi (i.e. ‘Celts’) emerge into our written records at the pre-Roman Iron Age. The impetus for this book is to explore from the perspectives of three disciplines—archaeology, genetics, and linguistics—the background in later European prehistory to these developments. There is a traditional scenario, according to which, Celtic speech and the associated group identity came in to being during the Early Iron Age in the north Alpine zone and then rapidly spread across central and western Europe. This idea of ‘Celtogenesis’ remains deeply entrenched in scholarly and popular thought. But it has become increasingly difficult to reconcile with recent discoveries pointing towards origins in the deeper past. It should no longer be taken for granted that Atlantic Europe during the 2nd and 3rd millennia BC were pre-Celtic or even pre-Indo-European. The explorations in Celtic from the West 3 are drawn together in this spirit, continuing two earlier volumes in the influential series.
The origin and early development of social stratification is essentially an archaeological problem. The impressive advance of archaeological research has revealed that, first and foremost, the pre-eminence of stratified or class society in today’s world is the result of a long social struggle. This volume advances the archaeological study of social organisation in Prehistory, and more specifically the rise of social complexity in European Prehistory. Within the wider context of world Prehistory, in the last 30 years the subject of early social stratification and state formation has been a key subject on interest in Iberian Prehistory. This book illustrates the differing forms of resistances, the interplay between change and continuity, the multiple paths to and from social complexity, and the ‘failures’ of states to form in Prehistory. It also engages with broader questions, such as: when did social stratification appear in western European Prehistory? What factors contributed to its emergence and consolidation? What are the relationships between the notions of social complexity, social inequality, social stratification and statehood? And what are the archaeological indicators for the empirical analysis of these issues? Focusing on Iberia, but with a permanent connection to the wider geographical framework, this book presents, for the first time, a chronologically comprehensive, up-to-date approach to the issue of state formation in prehistoric Europe.
In this major new volume, leading scholars demonstrate the importance of archaeobotanical evidence in the understanding of the spread of agriculture in southwest Asia and Europe. Whereas previous overviews have focused either on Europe or on southwest Asia, this volume considers the transition from a pan-regional perspective, thus making a significant contribution to our understanding of the processes and dynamics in the transition to food production on both continents. It will be relevant to students, researchers, practitioners and instructors in archaeology, archaeobotany, agrobotany, agricultural history, anthropology, area studies, economic history and cultural development.
Illustrated thoroughly, Biomolecular Archaeology is the first book to clearly guide students through the study of ancient DNA: how to analyze biomolecular evidence (DNA, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates) to address important archaeological questions. The first book to address the scope and methods of this new cross-disciplinary area of research for archaeologists Offers a completely up-to-date overview of the latest research in this innovative subject Guides students who wish to become biomolecular archaeologists through the complexities of both the scientific methods and archaeological goals. Provides an essential component to undergraduate and graduate archaeological research
This book explores the shift from hunting and gathering to agriculture as a way of life and the implications of this neolithic transition for the genetic structure of European populations. Originally published in 1984. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
It is no exaggeration to suggest that the domestication of animals was perhaps one of the most important developments in human history. It is a phenomenon that has transformed human life over the last 15,000 years, with the term 'domestic animal' being a familiar one to every person on the planet.
