March 3, 2006

Science BC (Before Consent)

By DAVID GLENN

The current tug of war over Yanomami blood samples might be viewed as a twilight battle in the long quarrel regarding the alleged misdeeds of the anthropologists who studied the group 35 years ago. But it's equally true that the conflict is a window into the future: As medical researchers and physical anthropologists build ever-larger data banks of DNA samples, scholars can expect to see many more battles about informed consent and donors' rights.

In 2004, 52 members of the

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