The Human Evolution Coloring Book [Paperback]

Adrienne L. Zihlman (Author), Carla J. Simmons (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0062737171 | ISBN-13: 978-0062737175 | Edition: 2

The completely revised Human Evolution Coloring Book

• Provides an authoritative, scientific background for understanding the origins of humanity
• Includes new discoveries and information essential for students of anthropology, primatology, paleontology, comparative anatomy, and genetics
• Brings together evidence from living primates, fossils, and molecular studies
• Explains the latest dating methods, including radioactive, paleomagnetic, and molecular clocks
• Surveys the world of living primates, their ecology, locomotion, diet, behavior, and life histories
• Clarifies the anatomical and behavioral similarities and differences between ourselves and our closest living relatives, the chimpanzee and the gorilla
• Resolves some long-standing mysteries about our relationship to the extinct Neanderthals

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tomas M. Niesen is an Associate Professor of Marine Biology at San Francisco State University

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 2 edition (February 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062737171
• ISBN-13: 978-0062737175
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,009 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for learning!, February 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Human Evolution Coloring Book (Paperback)

Dr. Zihlman's new edition of the HECB is even more fantastic than the first! It is simply a fantastic resource for learning about human evolution. Any topic that you want to learn about or have questions about is covered.

Dr. Zihlman's book encorporates both textbook style writings and pages to color so that the reader can actually see what the text refers to. From personal experience, I have found the coloring book to be extremely helpful to those students, like myself, who learn better with visual application.

I, for one, would like to thank Dr. Zihlman or all of the effort she put into making the HECB one of the funnest, most thorough ways to learn about human and primate evolution!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Primate Loves the Human Evolution Coloring Book!, November 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Human Evolution Coloring Book (Paperback)

I think everyone should read this book. As a student studying physical anthropology, I have found The Human Evolution Coloring Book to be a wonderful, accessible resource and as a teaching assistant I frequently recommend it to my own students.

The coloring plates in the HECB are ingeniously designed, so you can *see* the information as well as read it. Something I tell my students: COLOR THE PLATE! It is fun, takes only a few minutes, and when you have finished coloring the concepts presented in the accompanying text have made themselves comfortable in your brain. For those of you who are visual learners, and for those of you who are visual learners but don't realize it, this book engages the parts of your brain left dormant by lectures and text alone.

As I mentioned above, I wish everyone would READ this book; it is much more than just a coloring book. Zihlman's text is thorough and easy to follow - even when explaining difficult concepts. I *highly* recommend this book as a text and as a supplement for students in introductory anthropology classes.

Again, as mentioned, I wish EVERYONE would read this book not just anthro students. Zihlman has done a masterful job of synthesizing the varied aspects of physical anthropology - data and research conducted in the spectrum of scientific fields - giving us the multi-dimensional and parsimonious picture of human evolution. Physical anthropology has given me a richer understanding, through an evolutionary perspective, of how life on earth works and the role that humans have evolved to play in their environment. I wish everyone could savor this same understanding. The HECB is the best text I have found, which integrates the data and brings all of the connections together for the reader to grasp.

Adrienne Zihlman is a brilliant scientist and writer and I recommend this book to everyone with both my opposable thumbs and my convergent great toes UP! I look forward with great anticipation to the new edition!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dawin to DNA, and now Zihlman!, November 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Human Evolution Coloring Book (Paperback)

It is rare to see such a synthesis of anthropological material among the current literature. Dr. Zihlman's coloring book is truly a gem among introductory books. Using an elegant comparative method, the coloring book allows students of life to explore the many facets that anthropology has to offer. The book begins with a unique overview of the history of life and Darwin, continuing with an in-depth investigation of current anthropological issues such as: life history, reproduction, primate origins, human origins and many other hot topics in the field. This book is a must have for introductory students struggling with the fossil identification and primate classification, and for upper level graduate students as well, who always need a little reviewing! Due to the lack of comparative skeletal material within the university systems it is nice for professors and TA's alike to have the coloring book as a reference. This book allows you to compare (morphologically) many primate species, fossil specimens, and non-human primates as well. I truly believe that any student who has an earnest interest in this subject will enjoy the coloring book for year to come. I have currently used my coloring book for 7 years now, and eagerly await the new edition. Although, the dates and facts have changed in anthropology, the faces have not. The coloring books comparative pictures will never be out of date, and have proven time and time again as an invaluable reference for research, ideas, and teaching! This coloring book opened my eye to the fascinating worlds of anthropology, biology, genetics, and paleontology. The coloring book is a true interdisciplinary synthesis. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys natural history, primates, and discovery!