Customer Reviews

The Hunt for the Dawn Monkey: Unearthing the Origins of Monkeys, Apes, and Humans

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

 

 

I picked up Chris Beard's The Hunt for the Dawn Monkey after reading The Link: Uncovering Our Earliest Ancestor, which discussed the hyped-up primate fossil called Ida. I was fascinated by the paleontological debate surrounding the evolution of monkeys and apes (known collectively as anthropoids). However, The Link only skimmed the surface of the debate and, frankly, did not provide enough evidence to prove that anthropoids evolved from lemur-like ancestors (adapids). I wanted more and believe I made the right decision in choosing Beard's The Hunt for the Dawn Monkey.

Chris Beard is an expert in primatology from the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh. His book goes into great detail about the debate over primate evolution. He spends a lot of time discussing the lines of evidence supporting the various theories of anthropoid evolution. He starts with the earliest expeditions and ends with his own discoveries in China. Much of the evidence for all sides comes from fossil dentition, so dentists will enjoy this book. However, while Beard explains the science in detail, he writes clearly and avoids too much jargon, allowing non-dentists (like me) to follow his chain of reasoning.

Beard's proposed thesis is that primates evolved neither from adapids or tarsier-like ancestors (omomyids), but rather from a third proto-anthropoid. He bases his conclusion largely on Eocene primate fossils he discovered in China (Eosimias - literally the "dawn monkey") that look more like anthropoids and haven't yet specialized to the same degree as tarsiers and lemurs. I personally found his conclusions convincing - more so that the "adapid theory" proposed in The Link. However, more importantly, Beard goes through each theory and objectively describes the evidence for and against. In fact, most of the book dwells on the evolution of the debate over primate evolution rather than simply pushing his argument. I found this useful for readers who were not initiated into the debate. While Beard has his own preferred theory, he provides enough evidence for readers to make their own decisions.

This book was published before The Link, but I think it is still definitely worth reading. The authors of The Link criticize Beard's thesis for relying too much on statistics and fragmented fossils, rather than whole specimens like Ida. Beard has responded in an op-ed suggesting that Ida is merely another adapid/lemur, not an ancestor of anthropoids ([...]). Even if the Ida fossil changes the debate, The Hunt for the Dawn Monkey will provide you with the necessary context and background to be able to look at this debate objectively and intelligently.

In short, if you liked The Link and have the time and patience to read a more thorough book, you'll love The Hunt for the Dawn Monkey.