Journey of Man

In this PBS-aired documentary, geneticist Spencer Wells embarks upon an epic journey around the world to trace humankind's spread from fragile beginnings in Africa to emerge as the planet's dominant species. In his efforts to determine the roots and branches of the human family tree, Wells analyzes the DNA in blood samples from Namibian Bushmen, Chukchi reindeer herders, Native Americans, Australian Aborigines, and others, concluding from the evidence provided by DNA markers that there were two separate migrations from Africa. While one migration followed the coastline along the Indian Ocean and settled in Australia, the other ended up in Central Asia, with both ultimately accounting for the wide variety of the peoples in the world today. Effectively presenting the viewpoints of various groups, Journey of Man is, for the most part, both engaging and visually appealing (although the pacing is a bit slow in some spots, and there are too many filler shots of Wells driving vehicles or walking across landscapes or through crowds). Ultimately, the film presents an important message that should be heard by everyone: we are all members of the same family, regardless of skin color. Recommended. Aud: J, H, C, P. (S. Fisher)