Migration and colonization are major forces affecting the
frequency, spatial pattern and spread of genes in human
populations. Here, Alan Fix reviews theories of migration developed
by biologists and social scientists and surveys patterns of
migration in a diverse sample of human populations. Using these
empirical studies, he evaluates models of migration developed by
population geneticists and explores more realistic models using
computer simulation. He then shows the relevance of studies of
migration as a microevolutionary process to the understanding of
longer term global patterns of human diversification, by examining
the spread of anatomically modern Homo sapiens, the demic diffusion
of agriculture in Europe, and the origins of human diversity in the
Malayan Peninsula. By focusing on migration as a process rather
than as its genetic consequences, the book provides a bridge
between biological and social science studies of migration, genetic
microevolutionary theory and longer term human evolution.
目錄:
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. The study of migration
2. The anthropology of human migration
3. Population genetics models and human migration
4. Computer simulation models
5. Migration and colonization in human evolution
6. Conclusions: an evolutionary framework for the study of
migration
References.