The Journey of Man

The Journey of Man
“The Journey of Man” is a movie that embodies the past of humankind based on DNA. Spencer Wells, a geneticist and anthropologist, embarks on a journey to trace the spreading of human migrations out of Africa. This movie implies that a further study of human beings will not be focused on finding fossil remains but instead focused on obtaining blood samples from significant tribes around the world. Spencer began his journey by working with another geneticist, Luca, they discovered that blood could be a time machine to investigate our beginning and predict our future. They both realized that isolated tribes could give us history through their blood samples. Blood containing the fountain of life, DNA, is very valuable for the history of mankind. In this way, after obtaining all the blood samples and tracing back human history, they could build a family tree of humanity.
According to Spencer, approximately 10,000 humans were living 50,000 years ago before they began their journey. Amazing how today there are 6 billion people that descended from those 10,000. These humans originated in Africa, specifically from the Buschman tribe. Research shows that this tribe is the only one with a “click” sound language and according to our ancestors they were great hunters and the best trackers. Using the lisong markers to track the past through DNA is how they discovered that the Buschman carried the oldest genes, giving evidence it all began in Africa.
The movement of human species continued towards India. It took further research to understand how they got there, but findings show that 70-50,000 years ago the ice caps were expanding creating more deserts and allowing them to walk through. The same process was followed in India, and Tamil Nadu was discovered to carry the gene of the past. The white chromosome in male is the evidence of the past because it is the only one that does not change. After India, the species continued their route towards Australia.
It is believed that another group of humans took a different route to the Middle East, going through Central Asia, due to the drought of the ice age. They also went through Antartica where the Chinchis Tribe was found with substantial evidence. Spencer stayed for a while and learned their traditions to better understand our ancestors.
Reaching America, the humans went from Russia through the Bering Sea, that with the ice age build the Berinja, and allowed them to arrive. Native Americans are descendants from Central Asia, their physical features are a vivid proof. In this way beginning in Africa, through India, Australia and Europe Spencer explains with evidence the origins, development and movement of the human species.
The findings Spencer and his colleagues were able to discover are scientifically revolutionary because they provide evidence of human’s tracks through genetics. Due to the technological evolution, scientists have been able to make these tremendous discoveries. The tools they use have allowed geneticists to study DNA deeply and accurately. To make these discoveries public it requires scientists to be certain and are therefore the reason why it has taken long for all this information to be revealed.
The Journey of Man showed me how much technology has advanced and also the capability of human beings to make such discoveries. This movie was also an eye opener for me that there are more than just fossils and cave paintings, that in our bloodstreams lays the truth, the beginning and our history. Regardless of what I learned from the movie I was still left with questions such as: How accurate are the DNA findings? What exactly in the DNA can reveal so much about human history? What other aspects of genetics can they use to discover more? Will DNA eventually be used to shape future human beings? These questions are important to the study of species because it will help us understand and analyze the discoveries even more.