Human Origins : The Fossil Record (Paperback)

by Clark Spencer Larsen (Author), Robert M. Matter (Author), Daniel L. Gebo (Author) "An understanding of evolution from the perspective of the ancient past is a complicated undertaking at all levels of study..." (more)
Key Phrases: Koobi Fora, Olduvai Gorge, East Turkana (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
An up-to-date pictorial review of the major fossil finds in the world! This updated, introductory guidebook to the fossil record of prehuman and human evolution presents detailed drawings of complete or nearly complete specimens representative of particular grades of evolution. Each drawing (usually shown at 75 percent of original size) is accompanied by appropriate information, including geographical location, approximate age, and general description. Descriptions include information on the context of the discovery and summary anatomical details. The detailed drawings in this highly regarded volume make it an excellent sourcebook for use in departments with limited fossil cast collections.

From the Publisher
This valuable reference volume is printed in a large 8.5 x 11 inch format with nearly 200 detailed drawings!

Product Details

• Paperback: 225 pages
• Publisher: Waveland Press; 3 edition (April 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1577660021
• ISBN-13: 978-1577660026
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #265,247 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome illustrations and coverage of the specimens, October 10, 2001

By	John McGinn "[e-mail]" (Broomfield, CO United States) - See all my reviews

Covers a ton of prominent homind specimens with detailed black and white illustrations (drawings not photos) that accent the morphological features of each specimen. Includes detailed descriptions of the specimens and also a nice description at the beginning of each section. As a bonus also includes a section with non-hominid primate specimens. This book is great for anthropology students needing a quick reference to numerous specimens. It also contains numerous references to the literature about each specimen so makes a great starting point for research.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Human Origins-- A Guide, December 18, 2003

By	Chris Moore (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews

Okay, Australopithecus afarensis. I've heard of Lucy; I know she was found at Hadar in Ethiopia, but what is her accession number? How much of her was actually recovered? Good thing I have my copy of Larsen et al. "Human Origins: The Fossil Record" on hand.

Superbly illustrated with line drawings and maps of the different fossil localities, this encyclopedic text traces human evolution from the Dawn Apes through modern Homo sapiens in the best way possible-- with the fossils. Each specimen is well drawn, most in multiple views, so that the student or amateur who can't make it to Addis Adaba to see the real thing can have a chance to compare fossil homonids from around the world. In addition, for comparative purposes, the authors have also supplied illustrations of the modern great apes. A fun and informative text either for study or just as an escape into our origins. I must emphasize, however, that the emphasis of this book is on illustrations for pictorial comparisons, not on descriptions. The text concerning each fossil, therefore, is fairly short.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Human Origins, July 7, 2000

By A Customer

This book is an excellent source for students and teachers of human evolution. It is the first compilation that I have seen that puts drawings of all the major fossil finds together in one place. It is very helpful as a supplementary text in an intro human origins class since most books lack adequate pictures of the major fossil players.