The Complete World of Human Evolution [Hardcover]

Chris Stringer (Author), Peter Andrews (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0500051321 | ISBN-13: 978-0500051320 | Publication Date: May 17, 2005 | Edition: First Edition

A compelling, authoritative, and superbly illustrated account of the rise and eventual domination of our species.

Human domination of the earth is now so complete that it is easy to forget how recently our role in the history of the planet began: the earliest apes evolved around twenty million years ago, yet Homo sapiens has existed for a mere 150,000 years. In the intervening period, many species of early ape and human have lived and died out, leaving behind the fossilized remains that have helped to make the detailed picture of our evolution revealed here.This exciting, up-to-the-minute account is divided into three accessible sections. "In Search of Our Ancestors" examines the contexts in which fossilized remains have been found and the techniques used to study them. "The Fossil Evidence" traces in detail the evolution of apes and humans, from Proconsul to the australopithecines, and Homo erectus to the Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. The latest fossil finds at major new sites such as Dmanisi in Georgia and Gran Dolina in Spain are appraised, and new advances in genetic studies, including the extraction of DNA from extinct human species, are evaluated. "Interpreting the Evidence" reconstructs and explains the evolution of human behavior, describing the development of tool use, the flourishing of the earliest artists, and the spread of modern humans to all corners of the world. The book is superbly illustrated with hundreds of photographs, diagrams, and specially commissioned reconstruction drawings by the artist John Sibbick. 430 illustrations, 175 in color

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A lavishly illustrated account . . . clearly and authoritatively written . . . describes how the human species evolved into the most successful invasive on Earth.” (Choice )

“A spectacular, authoritative guide. . . . It will bring you up to speed on even the most recent discoveries.” (Archaeology )

“Its style and format make it accessible—and attractive—to a far larger audience and it deserves the widest readership.” (Times Higher Education Supplement ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Chris Stringer is Head of Human Origins at the Natural History Museum, London.

Peter Andrews is the former Head of Human Origins at the Natural History Museum, London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; First Edition edition (May 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500051321
• ISBN-13: 978-0500051320
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #184,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good Summary of Human Evolution for Non-Scientists, November 25, 2005

By 

Edward F. Strasser "Éad" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Complete World of Human Evolution (Hardcover)

This book is actually about the evolution of apes, starting with Proconsul and working up to all of the living apes, including us. But it is we who are at center stage, with the others in supporting roles.

The book starts with an extended section on how fossils and evolution are studied. This includes how dates are estimated, how fossils are formed, and how environments and climate fit into the picture. Then there are descriptions of some dig sites. The next section, titled "The Fossil Evidence", covers many fossils from our past, along with some analysis. The final section, "Interpreting the Evidence", is mostly about what the evidence tell us regarding behavior, especially tool use. This will be the payoff for many readers, since it is what makes us human.

There is little technical language; when it is necessary to use a technical term, it is usually explained, for example "humerus (upper arm bone)". There is no way to avoid using the scientific names of the fossil species, but the translations, such as "Greek ape" for "Graecopithecus", will help.

The text is divided into bite-size pieces of 2-6 pages, each with several illustrations. The pieces have such titles as "Dating the Past", "The Neanderthals", "The First Americans". The illustrations consist of photos and drawings, mostly in color, as well as graphs and charts. It's not quite a coffee table book, but I did find myself a few times thumbing through to look at the pictures.

Obviously, a book with such a large scope can't cover any particular topic in any detail. But if you want more information on something, you can Google it. Instead, this book brings everything into one picture, so to speak, showing how the pieces relate to each other. It is a fine introduction or overview for any interested non-scientist.

86 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The family album, April 9, 2006

By 

Stephen A. Haines (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Complete World of Human Evolution (Hardcover)

Among science's "throwaway" lines, few have achieved the status of Charles Darwin's. When "The Origin of Species" was published, he dropped a teasing line about human ancestry at the very end: "Light will be thrown on the origins of man . . ." For over a generation after his death, the most significant human fossil proved a forgery. Stringer and Andrews have updated the record. In doing so, they've given us a finely crafted and superbly produced account of our ancestry. The term "world" is significant, as they display fossils, artefacts and the digs where these items were found from the southern tip of Africa to the edge of South America.

Breaking the study into three segments, the authors relate the history of archaeology, illustrating the evolutionary picture and the tools that detail it. They explain what the fossil evidence demonstrates about our ancestors, primate through hominid to human. Finally, they trace the path of our ancestors' expansion out of Africa into Asia, Australia, Europe and the Western Hemisphere. The running theme of the book is that we belong to the ape family. The primates have a long, diverse history, which firmly set our roots. From African origins, the apes sent emigrants into Asia and Europe. The hominin apes followed those paths and further. Human evolution didn't cease merely because our species inhabited most of the planet. The authors note the complexity of evolutionary forces and caution those who feel there is some "directionality" in our rise. Species survival must reflect knowledge of our roots.

As an enhancement to explaining how data about our evolution has been found and assessed, the authors have selected several sites of major importance. These digs range from the famous Olduvai Gorge excavations of the Leakey family to the Boxgrove site on the south coast of Britain. Each site is historically described and depicted with location and detailed maps. The teams have a say and the techniques involved in revealing the evidence of our past are explained. Analytical methods are related, particularly as they involve the sites. Of major interest is the placing of the site's past environmental in its palaeontological context. There are copious photographs of the site area, the fossils and other artefacts gleaned. It's impossible to see the workers on the digs without wondering how many of them will go on to make significant finds of their own in some new location.

The authors are meticulous in presenting the maximum amount of information possible in a limited space. There are morphological comparisons - skulls, legs and feet, hands and, of course, teeth - of various primates. The illustrations indicate how the passage of time modified structures and what the changes represent. Teeth and jaws, the dietary indicators, are given close, but not overmuch, attention. Among the many examples, a skull from Turkey, "Ankarapithecus meteai" is one of the science's "head scratchers". Although clearly an ape from an ancient time, the skull bears many anomalous characteristics. It may be an ancestor of today's orang utan. Among other mysteries related to this find is that its teeth appear to be closer to the human, than to the ape line.

Although at first glance, this book may appear almost "coffee-table" in its format and its rich illustrative material, it is a compilation of many serious studies. Although topics that have aroused debate are discussed, the sometimes acrimonious exchanges have been mercifully omitted. There is little in the way of speculation here, and the evidence is handled with respect for the work underlying it. The "Further Reading" section is adequate, relying more on books than research papers or field studies, but is fully up to date to the time of publication. The book is a fine addition to any collection of human evolutionary accounts. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to this subject, July 19, 2006

By 

Paul M. Mallory (MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Complete World of Human Evolution (Hardcover)

I recommend that one read an introductory text on biological evolution before going into this book, but even without that backgroud "The Complete World of Human Evolution" is a great way to learn about apparent human evolution. The authors incorporate a lot of charts, graphs, and pictures to illuminate the field of paleoanthropology for the educated reader who has no formal background in the field. I liked how the authors introduced the academic study of paleoanthropology to the reader, as well as briefly discussing a handful of important archaeological sites. They discuss primate anatomy and evolution and how this relates to human evolution. In the middle portion they discuss each genus and/or species and how they fit into the entire picture. The final portions discuss the role genetics plays in our understanding of human evolution and migrations. The tone is mildly academic but if one knows how to read there shouldn't be a problem. Again, I particularly enjoyed this book because of the pictures and drawings of fossils, archaeological sites, etc., but they are by no means a crutch for the authors. They elucidate modern ideas about the subject, and they readily admit it when there isn't a consensus about a particular point. Admittedly, the authors believe what they know and one can tell that in their tone. There is also a nice bibliography but I found it to be a little dated. I would have liked to have seen more up-to-date resources about how the nonspecialist reader can find out about new finds and discoveries. Overall, if one is interested in this subject, one can start here.