The Seven Daughters of Eve

The book I read is written by Bryan Sykes and its title is ”The Seven Daughters of Eve”. It tells the story about how the researchers through genetics could find our ancestors.  They followed the DNA from our days to thousands of years ago. They found out that all people in Europe come from seven mothers. These women lived in different places and had very different conditions from ours. The writer tries to us in to the culture of those women lived in, through seven stories in the end of the book. Each story tells about one of the mothers. They are called Ursula, Xenia, Helena, Velda, Tara, Katherine and Jasmine. The names make it possible to think about them as real persons and not only as research objects. It is one of the good things in the book. I would say that the book is an essay. It contains parts of science, written in a clear and easily understood way. Sykes explains the way the cell works and how he found the mitokondriums and the DNA. He tells a lot of stories between the describing parts. It makes the reading worthwhile. It’s a book worth reading for those who are interested in the origin of human beings.  

 Where do I come from? It is one of the most exciting questions a man or woman can ask. The book tries to give an acceptable answer to the question. There are people who believe in the Bible or some other holy book. And there are people who believe in scientific results and other people who try to find their own way. Those who believe the Bible mean that all people on Earth come from one couple: Adam and Eve.  

 Those who believe in science change their minds with the developments in the science. This book is based on the very last scientific results in this area. When they proved that we belong to seven mothers, they come closer to the story of the Bible, which tells that all people on Earth are offspring’s of Eve and Adam. The average meaning, between scientists, earlier was that we developed gradually from primates. According to this point of view the chimpanzees are our ancestors.  These new results show us, through the women, that our ancestors are real humans.  

Is it then right to use genetic engineering? The question can be discussed from different points of view. On one side there are those who say ‘yes’. They think that it is a very safe method and gives good results. It is a new technique with good chances to reach new knowledge proportionately quickly. Genetics has according to their theories possibilities, which still are unknown.  On the other side there are those who say ‘no’. They think that it is a very new and unknown technique with faults that we don’t yet think of. We can easily make mistakes and they can result in devastating things, in the worst case. It is not good that humans can manipulate and “play” with so sensitive things as the DNA. We can’t see to the future and tell what the effects will be.  Important species can die out or the nature can change in a global perspective.  

 I am against genetic engineering and manipulating with the genes. My theory is that the nature can manage by itself, as it did for millions of years. As far as humans keep themselves away nature will do well. We humans have the possibility means to destroy the balance.