What Makes YOU special?

The Genographic Project
Grade 10 Journal Entry Question #4

In the space of just a few thousand generations, the linguistic, cultural and genetic diversity of the human race has exploded. Scientists agree that all humans share a common ancestry in Africa. Much less well understood is how the human race migrated out of Africa and became so diverse. To discover more about this ancestral journey, IBM and National Geographic have launched the Genographic Project, a landmark five-year study which will collect a massive sample of human DNA to put together a map of how humans populated the planet.

Explore the Genographic Project Site
Explore the IBM Site

View the videos, listen to the podcasts, read the articles and write an entry considering the following:

• · consider the scientific and technological advancements that make the project possible;
• · consider the impact of our highly mobile, global society on migration;
• · describe the importance of the Genographic Project;
• · project future migration patterns;

Some questions to help you:
What are the scientific and technological advances necessary to accomplish the Genographic Project?
Could researchers have accomplished this project 100 years ago? 50? 25?
Why is the timing of the Genographic Project important?
How important are the indigenious groups to the project?