Adam’s Curse by Bryan Sykes
Published by W. W. Norton & Company, 2003, 318 pages
ISBN 0-393-32680-2
Sykes, a professor of genetics at Oxford University and author of the best-selling “Seven Daughters of Eve” (the book that details the mitochondrial DNA saga, the genetic fingerprint passed down only from mothers to daughters) now takes us through a fascinating assessment of the male definition – the Y chromosome (the genetic fingerprint only passed down from fathers to sons). You have no idea of the number of studies and experiments that have been conducted on the business of sex. We learn about the progeny of Genghis Khan and the huge Clan MacDonald from Scotland. Sykes examines the notion of a homosexual gene. He explores why we need to have males and females for reproduction and then lays out the ultimate fate of the Y chromosome, which is rapidly decaying, as witnessed by the dropping fertility rates. Yet, some plants and animals (for example, the dandelion and the Bulgarian vole) have found a way to reproduce without a male! Beneath the headlines, Sykes details the molecular science that belies human reproduction in a highly readable style. We are indeed fortunate to have a scientist who can also write about complex content in a fashion that the rest of us can understand. Take a romp through sex, at the genetic level.
Ron Gilmore
Last Updated: February 2022
Email: rvg3@me.com
Website: https://rgenealogy.ca