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Human Evolution: A Very Short Introduction

Second Edition

Bernard Wood

June 2019

ISBN: 9780198831747

160 pages
Paperback
174x111mm

In Stock

Very Short Introductions

Price: £8.99

The study of human evolution is advancing rapidly. New fossil evidence is adding ever more pieces to the puzzle of our past; the new science of ancient DNA is completely reshaping theories of early human populations and migrations. Bernard Wood traces the field of palaeoanthropology from its beginnings in the eighteenth century to the present.

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Description

The study of human evolution is advancing rapidly. New fossil evidence is adding ever more pieces to the puzzle of our past; the new science of ancient DNA is completely reshaping theories of early human populations and migrations. Bernard Wood traces the field of palaeoanthropology from its beginnings in the eighteenth century to the present.

  • Traces the history of paleoanthropology from its beginnings in the eighteenth century to the very latest fossil finds
  • Explores how Ancient DNA studies have revolutionized how we view the recent (post-550 ka) human evolution
  • Discusses discoveries of new taxa, as well as the suggestion from ancient DNA studies of 'ghost' taxa whose fossil records still remains to be discovered
  • Explains how fossils are found, and analysed, and why they are interpreted in different ways
  • Explains the functions of geochronology and paleoclimatology
  • Part of the Very Short Introductions series - over nine million copies sold worldwide

About the Author(s)

Bernard Wood, University Professor of Human Origins, George Washington University

Bernard Wood is University Professor of Human Origins at George Washington University. He has been involved in human evolution-related research for more than thirty years, and is the author or co-author of 19 books, ranging from a 1991 major monograph on the hominid cranial remains from Koobi Fora, Kenya, to Human Evolution (Brief Insights) (Sterling Books, 2011), and more than 220 refereed scientific articles and book chapters. His research interests include taxonomy, phylogeny reconstruction, and comparative morphology.

Table of Contents

    1:Introduction
    2:Finding our place
    3:Fossil hominins: their discovery and context
    4:Fossil hominins: analysis and interpretation
    5:Early hominins: possible and probable
    6:Archaic and transitional hominins
    7:Pre-modern Homo
    8:Modern Homo
    Timeline of thought and science relevant to human origins and evolution
    Further reading
    Index

Reviews

"Concise but with wide coverage, this is your ideal pocket guide to human evolution." - Chris Stringer, Natural History Museum

"This is a well written, concise survey of research on our origins. Bernard Wood writes with an authority that few in the discipline can approach. The text is accessible, and the coverage is comprehensive." - Professor Peter Ungar, University of Arkansas

"Wood presents a concise but comprehensive treatment of our own evolutionary history. Any reader interested in the topic of human origins will greatly benefit from this work." - Professor Zeray Alemseged, University of Chicago

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