Bryan Sykes
Bryan Sykes | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bryan Clifford Sykes 9 September 1947 |
| Died | 10 December 2020 (aged 73) |
| Education | Eltham College University of Liverpool (B.Sc.) University of Bristol (Ph.D.) |
| Known for | The Seven Daughters of Eve; analysis of mitochondrial and Y chromosome data |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Genetics |
| Institutions | Wolfson College, Oxford University of Oxford (D. Sc.) |
Bryan Clifford Sykes (9 September 1947 – 10 December 2020) was a British geneticist and science writer who was a Fellow of Wolfson College and Emeritus Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Oxford.
Sykes published the first report on retrieving DNA from ancient bone (Nature, 1989). He was involved in a number of high-profile cases dealing with ancient DNA, including that of Ötzi the Iceman. He also suggested a US accountant named Tom Robinson was a direct descendant of Genghis Khan, a claim that was subsequently disproved.
Sykes is best known outside the community of geneticists for his two popular books on the investigation of human history and prehistory through studies of mitochondrial DNA.