Customer Reviews

The Fossil Trail: How We Know What We Think We Know About Human Evolution

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Not only does Tattersall provide a comprehensive account of what is known about human evolution, he also tells the story from the point of view of the scientists who have shaped the field thus far. The chronology takes the reader not through the timeline of evolutionary history, but rather through that of its study. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a comprehensive and authoritative discussion of paleoanthropology and its own history as a field. The detail and historical framework may, however, not make this the best choice for someone with a casual interest in evolution.

I enjoyed this book from the perspective of knowing what we think we know about human evolution. The text is a bit dry at times, but loaded with many historic insights, making it worth the read.

This is a must have book for those interested in human evolution and want know where we "stand". I found more insights in this book than the Neanderthal Enigma, but the latter was a more fluid read.

I particularly liked the cladogram laying out the various species of homo. Very nice concise and summary on page 232 I have bookmarked. I found this and the time line summary at the beginning of the book quite helpful. I had not heard of homo ergaster until I picked up this book. I have recently attempted to apply cladograms to both meteorological theory and computer programming languages, they work quite well.

Ian Tattersall's _The Fossil Trail_ traces the evolution of scientific undestanding of human origins in exquisite detail and in a language that is understandable to the lay reader. The book is rich with scale diagrams of the fossil record of early hominids, presenting the various theories of human evolution from the mid-nineteenth century to the present.

Because of the subject matter and the aim of the book, it is dense reading, and it clearly is not for everyone. Nonetheless it is a fascinating and rewarding book.

Too often we forget that what we believe today is heavily determined by what our predecessors thought. Nowhere is this more true than it is in the study of human evolution, as Ian Tattersall elegantly shows in this smooth-flowing and highly readable book. By blending an engaging account of the discovery of the human fossil record with the history of paleoanthropological analysis, the author shows how the variety of current interpretations arose, and offers an intriguing alternative of his own. If you want to understand where all the controversies that currently rage around the subject of human evolution originated, this lively and well-written book is the source for you.

Informative, interesting, and contrary to what Anthony, ... said, a very enjoyable read. This book was recommended to me by one of my professors and was far beyond simply worthwhile; it was scientifically accurate and absolutely fascinating. Ian Tattersall's unique writing style is what makes it that way!!

"The Fossil Trail" is an excellent book. It is,however, somewhat dense and requires a reading that is full-attention oriented. This is not one to be read before the kids go to bed. Written by Ian Tattersall, one of my favorite anthropologists, this is a deep and full look at the evolution of hominids and humans. He covers tremendous ground and is hard to review for that reason. Dr. Tattersall covers the entire history of Homo Sapiens, from very far back in the hominid line to Homo Sapiens. He covers fossils, scientific hypothesis, theory, and wild guesses with equal fairness. The only way to absorb this book is to read it. I recommend you do

Ian Tattersall does wonders for paleontology and anthropology. Here he literally explains "how we know what we think we know about human evolution."

Tattersall illuminates just how fasions and concepts are constantly shifting as new fossils are found. His description of how and where fossils are found is fascinating. We don't know nearly as much about human evolution as most might think. And what we think of evolution is subject to constant change - and not at all firm.

Overall, Tattersall provides an easily accessible path to a complex subject. Anyone with an interest in how humankind may have evolved will find this interesting reading.

Jerry

Some people seem to regard Tattersall's style as difficult and even dull. I on the contrary find this book to be clearly and well written and there are even sparks of a mild sense of humour. This book is quite simply where to start. The best and fullest introduction and something not to be missed by anyone interested in our origins and a book to have on your shelf and return to many times. Had I borrowed this book from a friend I would instantly have ordered my own copy.

The author of this book writes a highly readable account on the history and biology of human evolution. I was captivated by his ability to make such a difficult subject so interesting and palatable. Tattersall eases through five million years of primate ancestry and a hundered and fifty years of convoluted theories on human evolution, hitting all of the highlights of important fossil discoveries. The author, however, approaches the human fossil record as a biologist, interpreting and reporting what he observes with lapidary skills that go unchallenged by any anthropologist. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in knowing more about human evolution than most anthropologists.

This book really went into the thinking behind paleoanthropology since its beginnings. It looks at the scientific mindset of the scientist at the time and why some of their views were developed. Not a great book for the current state of paleoanthropology although it eventually gets there in a round about way since it presents an historical account of the science.