The journey of man is filled with a lot of fascinating stories. The basic science as we know it does not clearly explain this journey. While other archaeologists were looking at artefacts to determine the origin of man, Wells’s was looking for answers inside the cells of living people (Wells, 2017). In his book, Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey, he suggests that about 200,000 years ago, the first human being lived on earth, particularly in Africa.

I believe we are all descendants of Africa. Everyone that has ever lived can trace his roots back to Africa. However, this approach prompts many questions. Were there other men around the world during that period and if that is the case what happened to their descendants? Besides, if it is true that each person alive is a direct descendant of the first man, how comes there is diversity in terms of sizes, race, shapes, and ethnicity?

Well’s evidence is based on his research on DNA in the Y-chromosomes (Wells, 2017). I think Wells’s choice of the Y-chromosome was an excellent candidate to use for this study. First, it does not recombine like other parts of the genome. The Y-chromosome can be passed from fathers to sons unchanged through many generations except for a few arbitrary mutations. I think these mutations can explain the reason behind the diversity of humans in terms of sizes, race, shapes, and ethnicity. These mutations can also explain the reason why humans have different thinking capabilities and building capabilities.

However, Wells’s study could also be wrong. If Africa was the homeland of all humans, it is supposed to be the most developed and civilized continent on earth. Today, most of the countries in Africa struggle with basic needs such as food, housing and health. Such struggles make the quest to find the journey of humans much more sophisticated.