(no subject)

[alexseanchai]

I had entirely forgotten that the title Seven Daughters of Eve refers only to the European — let's call them mitochondrial Eves in miniature — and not to the miniature mitochondrial Eves around the world. This despite a long stretch in the middle of the book discussing the mitochondrial DNA of Polynesian people. I had also entirely forgotten that when we finally get to the names that the scientists in question gave the seven most recent common maternal ancestors of the various European groups, the book turns into fiction about the seven women. I mean, I understand the impulse to make these women seem real to the reader, but. After the fiction part, there is a family tree of sorts connecting the 33 daughters of Eve to mitochondrial Eve herself, and that is global, but still.