Bryan Sykes, Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Oxford, has had a remarkable scientific career. After undertaking medical research into the cause of inherited bone disease, he set out to discover if DNA, the genetic material, could possibly survive in ancient bones. It did, and his was the first report on the recovery of ancient DNA from archaeological bone, published in the journal Nature in 1989. Since then Professor Sykes has been called in as a leading international authority to examine several high-profile cases, such as the Ice Man, Cheddar Man and the many individuals claiming to be surviving members of the Russian royal family.

Alongside this, he and his research team have over the last ten years compiled by far the most complete DNA family tree of our species yet seen.

He has always emphasized the importance of the individual in shaping our genetic world. The website wwwoxfordancestorscom offers people the chance to find out for themselves, from a DNA sample, where they fit in.

As well as a scientist, Bryan Sykes has been a television news reporter and a parliamentary science adviser.