Anthropological geneticist Jennifer Raff says she was "flabbergasted" when her book, "Origin," became an instant New York Times best-seller.
Asked to explain the sudden success, the University of Kansas professor replied, "I think that there is a great deal of genuine curiosity by people to know ancient history."
Raff acknowledges that there are several approaches to explaining when and how the first peoples arrived in and then moved across the Americas. Hers is based on genetics but says archaeologists have developed their own theories of what occurred. In addition, Raff points to the histories of the indigenous peoples.
"Many of these histories say that they came from this land," Raff said, "and I think it's important to recognize that these differ, sometimes, from archaeological and genetic approaches and we should be respectful of all these different kinds of views."
- Jennifer Raff, professor of anthropology and author of "Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas"
