In search of Eden.

Dr. Erica Hagelberg, biochemist, visits the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal to discover the origins of the Andaman islanders, a shrinking pre-Neolithic, pre-agricultural ccommunity. Deprived of their hunting way of life and numbering only 400, they are threatened by government enterprise and immigration from India. It was thought that they originated in Africa. However, Dr. Hagelberg's work resulted in DNA analysis that revealed ancient Asian genes, challenging the view that humans evolved in Africa. The programme follows Dr. Hagelberg's difficult expedition, her problems in gaining access to the islanders, traces the history of previous expeditions and shows the plight of a community on the verge of extinction.