Biological Anthropology: The Natural History of Humankind Review

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(More customer reviews)Although published as a textbook for university students, this volume is an excellent read for anybody wishing to understand the course of evolution. The authors have assembled a wealth of material, organised it in an effective manner and presented it with outstanding prose skill. Lead author Craig Stanford, whose books on primate behaviour are well-known, is joined by neurologist and geneticist John Allen and anthropologist Susan Anton. The trio brings many years of experience to the task of explaining human origins. After a brief introduction explaining what is meant by "Biological Anthropology", the authors provide a fine survey of the basic mechanisms of natural selection - DNA and genetics. Their depiction of how the genome is formed and how that structure builds the elements needed for natural selection to operate is an outstanding brief summary. Using available chemicals, DNA's mechanisms to build cells are explained, supplemented by vivid graphic images. From the process of cell building, the authors move on to show how the completed organism must deal with its environment, which includes other creatures, plant life and climate conditions through adaptation down succeeding generations. The authors describe the various factors leading to producing new species, isolation, elapsed time and new conditions. They also address the issue of how fossils and conditions are recorded in time and how researchers use a variety of techniques to determine age and place. The species of concern, of course, are the primates. The sudden demise of the great reptiles that had ruled the Earth for over 150 million years opened new vistas for the life that survived the catastrophe. Little, fur-bearing creatures moved into niches that allowed rapid change. Many varieties emerged, but noteworthy among them were shrew-sized omnivores. Spreading over the land and forests, some of them developed new traits that would ultimately lead to us. The origin of the primates is lost in the mists of time, compounded by the paucity of fossils and lack of agreement on what typifies a "primate". The earliest proposed species bears the ungainly name of "Plesiadapiforms". The authors describe the traits suggesting these were our earliest ancestors, while explaining what is lacking to establish a firm identity. Each of the points they introduce is enhanced by the contending researchers' arguments over lineage.Once past the vague beginnings, the team offers insights into how ape transformed into human. The physiological trends, such as jaw structure and teeth are outlined. Each of the fossil examples of pre-human hominids is examined critically with the important elements indicating its lineage in the human story assessed. From a lonely skull in a desert to remote caves, creatures that one day would lead to you and me are revealed. At some point, one or more of the ape-like animals stood upright. Demonstrating what a major step this was, with changes in spinal column, head position and posture, the new form proved to be even more adaptable than its predecessors. Not the least of the advantages gained, they note, is the ability to travel long distances with minimal energy expenditure. As much as we've learned, the authors remind us of the many questions remaining. The actual number of species, where and how they lived, and how many lineages did the ape ancestor lead to over the millennia?Emerging "modern" forms bring new challenges in understanding. Although early apes sent offshoots out of Africa, it was the hominids that proved to be the most ambitious travellers. Homo erectus spent over a million years traversing Asia, leaving fossils in far-flung sites across the continent and in the islands southeast of the mainland. Their remains have been dated to as recently as 25 to 50 thousand years old. The recent find on the island of Flores suggest an even more recent descendant. A new species, Homo sapiens, and its own diaspora out of Africa follows. Its most significant aspect, the development of intelligence and language is thoroughly examined. A major change took place leading to the one species with the highest proportion of brain size to body weight. Coupled with changes in physiology, our species created a new form of intricate communication abilities. The brain also went through changes in organisation. Which factor made the greatest contribution to human behaviour patterns is the concluding segment of the book. It is that aspect of our history that remains most contentious and the authors examine the various views surrounding that issue. It's a fitting conclusion to this in-depth and comprehensive study. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

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The only book that integrates the foundations and the most current innovations in the field from the ground up. Over the past twenty years, this field has rapidly evolved from the study of physical anthropology into biological anthropology,incorporating the evolutionary biology of humankind based on information from the fossil record and the human skeleton,genetics ofindividuals and of populations, our primate relatives, human adaptation, and human behavior. Stanfordcombines the most up-to-date, comprehensive coverage of the foundations of the field withthe modern innovations and discoveries.

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