November 15, 2007 (Vol. 27, No. 20)
URL:
http://johnhawks.net/weblog
Rating:
Strong Points: Great reading
Weak Points: Nothing significant
Summary:
Here’s a site that’s a reminder of how far the web of molecular biology has stretched. Only a decade ago an anthropology site would be one of the last places one might find discussion of DNA, molecular biology, etc. On this very interesting blog hosted by John Hawks, however, one is struck by how molecular knowledge is having a very big impact on a discipline that is otherwise far removed from molecular considerations. The lead article at press time, for example, concerns loneliness and its effects on regulating the immune system. That’s not just a fluke. Other articles discuss the contamination of the sequence in the neanderthal, “Howler Hybrid Hunting (DNA sampling to quantitate hybrid formation),” and the analysis of lab mice DNA for inbreeding. There are, to be sure, numerous articles besides the molecularly focused ones, but it is clear from this blog that molecular biology is having and going to have a major impact on the field of anthropology. Definitely worth a look.