Evolutionary anthropology / Human evolution Books

Book SynopsisThin on the Ground: Neandertal Biology, Archeology and Ecology synthesizes the current knowledge about our sister species the Neandertals, combining data from a variety of disciplines to reach a cohesive theory behind Neandertal low population densities and relatively low rate of technological innovation. The book highlights and contrasts the differences between Neandertals and early modern humans and explores the morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptive solutions which led to the extinction of the Neandertals and the population expansion of modern humans. Written by a world recognized expert in physical anthropology, Thin on the Ground: Neandertal Biology, Archaeology and Ecology will be a must have title for anyone interested in the rise and fall of the Neandertals.Trade Review“This book should serve both as a comprehensive introduction to the debate and as a timely stimulus to new research.” (Antiquity, 1 August 2015)Table of ContentsSeries Introduction ix Preface xi Acknowledgements xv Chapter 1 Thin on the Ground: Population Density and Technological Innovation 1 Note 7 Chapter 2 The Neandertals in Time and Space 9 2.1 Geographic and Temporal Boundaries 10 2.2 Defining the Neandertals 13 2.3 Neandertal DNA 27 2.4 Neandertal Taxonomy 30 2.5 Regional and Temporal Variation in Neandertal Morphology 30 2.6 The Evolutionary History of the Neandertals 32 Notes 39 Chapter 3 Neandertal Material Culture 41 3.1 Neandertal-associated Lithic Industries 42 3.2 Variation in the Eurasian Middle Paleolithic: Technology as Adaptive Interface 53 3.3 Composite Technology, and the Archeologically Less-visible Component of Technology 59 3.4 Subsistence Technology 61 3.5 Domestic Technology 67 Notes 69 Chapter 4 The Body Neandertal 71 4.1 Neandertal Body Size: Short but Massive 72 4.2 Body Composition: “Scaled Up” Inuit? 79 4.3 The Cost of Size: Feeding a Large Body and Large Brain 82 4.3.1 Nutrition and Somatic Maintenance: Neandertal Bodies were Energetically Costly 83 4.3.2 Nutrition and Reproduction: Were Neandertal Mothers Like Polar Bears? 92 4.3.3 Dietary Shortfalls: Hard and Lean Winters 97 4.4 The Benefits of Size: Neandertal Body Size in Ecological Context 99 Notes 104 Chapter 5 Surviving the Cold 107 5.1 How Cold Was It? 108 5.1.1 Cold–Temperate Conditions (MIS 5d-a and 3) 109 5.1.2 Cold Glacial Conditions (MIS 6 and 4) 111 5.2 Human Adaptation to the Cold 114 5.3 Cold Adaptation and Neandertal Morphology 117 5.3.1 The Survival Value of Neandertal Body Form 124 5.3.2 Craniofacial Morphology and Cold Adaptation 129 5.4 Physiological Solutions to Cold Stress 137 5.5 Cold Stress and Neandertal Behavior 141 5.5.1 Activity 141 5.5.2 Extrasomatic Heat Production and Conservation: Fire, Shelter and Clothing 142 5.6 Thermogenic Capacity and Cold Tolerance 146 5.7 The Neandertals Were Cold-adapted 148 Notes 149 Chapter 6 The Caloric Economy of Pleistocene Europe 151 6.1 Issues in the Reconstruction of Past Environments 152 6.2 Pleistocene Biomes of Europe and Western Asia 157 6.2.1 Interglacial Europe: Marine Isotope Stages 7 and 5e 159 6.2.2 Productivity and Edible Resources of Interglacial Environments 162 6.2.3 Temperate Interglacial Europe: Marine Isotope Stages 5d–a and 3 169 6.2.4 Cold Steppic Europe: Marine Isotope Stages 6 and 4 173 Notes 175 Chapter 7 Neandertals as Consumers 179 7.1 Analysis of Food Residues: The Macromammal Component of Neandertal Diet 181 7.2 Analysis of Food Residues: The Small Animal Data 187 7.3 Analysis of Food Residues: Macrobotanical Remains 191 7.4 Dental Wear and Food Residues on Teeth 194 7.5 Stable Isotope and Trace Element Analyses 200 7.6 The Thorny Issue of Cannibalism 214 7.7 The Trophic Ecology of Neandertals 216 Notes 218 Chapter 8 Red in Tooth and Claw: Neandertals as Predators 219 8.1 Neandertal Morphology and Predation 220 8.1.1 Scapular Glenoid Fossa 222 8.1.2 Elbow Joint Morphology 224 8.1.3 Superior Pubic Ramus Length 226 8.1.4 Humeral Diaphyseal Cross-sectional Geometry 226 8.1.5 Entheseal (Muscle Marking) Morphology 233 8.2 Neandertals as Close-range Predators 236 8.3 Prey Size, Hunting “Pack” Size, and Risk of Injury to Neandertal Hunters 245 8.4 Neandertal Hunting in Ecological Context 246 Notes 249 Chapter 9 In the Company of Killers: Neandertals as Carnivores 251 9.1 Large-bodied Carnivores of the Eurasian Late Pleistocene 253 9.2 The Members of the Eurasian Pleistocene Large-bodied Carnivore Guild 256 9.2.1 Homotherium latidens 256 9.2.2 Panthera leo spelaea 258 9.2.3 Panthera pardus 259 9.2.4 Crocuta crocuta spelaea 260 9.2.5 Hyaena hyaena 262 9.2.6 Canis lupus 262 9.2.7 Cuon alpinus 263 9.3 Competition within the Carnivore Guild 264 9.3.1 Exploitation Competition 265 9.3.2 Interference Competition 268 9.4 Neandertals Were Not the Socially-Dominant Members of the Carnivore Guild 271 9.5 Neandertal Ecology in the Context of Competition within the Carnivore Guild 276 Notes 284 Chapter 10 The Cost of Living in Ice Age Europe 287 10.1 Subsistence Organization and Mobility 289 10.2 Home Range Size 299 10.2.1 Lithic Raw Material Movement 300 10.2.2 Carnivore Models for Estimating Neandertal Mobility 302 10.3 Paleontological Reflections of Neandertal Mobility 309 10.4 The Energetic Cost of Mobility 316 10.5 The Energetic Cost of Domestic Activities 321 10.6 Neandertal Physical Activity Levels 324 Notes 331 Chapter 11 Neandertal Social Life, Life History, and Demography 333 11.1 Subsistence Labor Demands, Group Size, and Social Structure 336 11.2 Neandertal Life History 342 11.3 Neandertal Demography 347 Notes 352 Chapter 12 From Thin to Thick: The African MSA 353 12.1 Tipping the Scales on Population Growth 355 12.2 Culture Change in the Late MSA and Mousterian 360 Note 363 References 365 Index 445

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Book SynopsisThe Routledge Handbook of Archaeothanatology spans the gap between archaeology and biological anthropology, the field and laboratory, and between francophone and anglophone funerary archaeological approaches to the remains of the dead and the understanding of societies, past and present.Interest in archaeothanatology has grown considerably in recent years in English-language scholarship. This timely publication moves away from anecdotal case studies to offer syntheses of archaeothanatological approaches with an eye to higher-level inferences about funerary behaviour and its meaning in the past. Written by francophone scholars who have contributed to the development of the field and anglophone scholars inspired by the approach, this volume offers detailed insight into the background and development of archaeothanatology, its theory, methods, applications, and its most recent advances, with a lexicon of related vocabulary.This volume is a key source for archaeo-anTrade ReviewWinner of the European Association of Archaeologists Archaeology Book Prize 2023'For too long, language has divided French and English-speaking researchers over approaches to the archaeology of death. This very substantial volume brings them together for the first time in a major endeavour which reveals the range and potential of archaeothanatological approaches.' ~ Mike Parker Pearson, University College London, United Kingdom'Harking back on many decades of evolving archaeothanatology in action, this book certainly sets a new global standard both in burial excavations and depositional reconstructions of human skeletal remains and their contexts.' ~ Vera Tiesler, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, MexicoTable of ContentsIntroduction: Archaeothanatology, funerary archaeology and bioarchaeology: perspectives on the long view of death and the dead Christopher J. Knüsel and Eline M.J. Schotsmans Part I: Archaeothanatology – methodological guidelines 1. Methodological guidelines for archaeothanatological practice Frédérique Blaizot 2. A tale of two worlds: Terminologies in archaeothanatologyBruno Boulestin3. Words between two worlds: Collective graves and related issues in burial terminology Bruno Boulestin and Patrice Courtaud4. Secondary cremation burials of past populations: Some methodological procedures for excavation, bone fragment identification and sex determinationGermaine Depierre 5. The accompanying deadBruno Boulestin6. Denied funeral rites: The contribution of the archaeothanatological approach Aurore SchmittPart II: Period-specific applications 7. Early primary burials: Evidence from Southwestern AsiaAnne-marie Tillier8. The earliest European burials Bruno Maureille 9. Beyond the formal analysis of funerary practices? Archaeothanatology as a reflexive tool for considering the role of the dead amongst the living: A Natufian case study Fanny Bocquentin 10. What can archaeothanatology add? A case study of new knowledge and theoretical implications in the re-study of Mesolithic burials in Sweden and DenmarkLiv Nilsson Stutz11. Neolithic burials of infants and childrenMélie Le Roy and Stéphane Rottier12. Defining collective burials: Three case studiesAurore Schmitt13. Different burial types but common practice: The case of the funerary complex at Barbuise and La Saulsotte (France) at the beginning of the Late Bronze Age Stéphane Rottier14. Deathways of the Durotriges: Reconstructing identity through archaeothanatology in later Iron Age southern BritainKarina Gerdau-Radonić, Janne Sperrevik, Martin Smith, Paul Cheetham, and Miles Russell15. The Roman cemetery of Porta Nocera at Pompeii: The contribution of osteological re-associations to the study of secondary cremation burialsHenri Duday16. Reopening graves for the removal of objects and bones: Cultural practices and looting Edeltraud Aspöck, Karina Gerdau-Radonić and Astrid Noterman17. Cluniac funerary practicesEleanor Williams18. ‘Bring out your dead’: Funerary and public health practices in times of epidemic diseaseDominique Castex and Sacha Kacki19. Jewish funerary practices in Medieval EuropePhilippe Blanchard20. Islamic burials: Muslim graves and graves of MuslimsYves Gleize21. Recognising a slave cemetery: An example from colonial-period Guadeloupe, Lesser AntillesPatrice Courtaud and Thomas RomonPart III: Archaeothanatology of associated remains22. Archaeothanatological approaches to associated remains in funerary contexts in Europe: An overviewIsabelle Cartron and Aurélie Zemour23. An archaeothanatological approach to the identification of late Anglo-Saxon burials in wooden containersEmma C. Green24. Ceramic studies in funerary contexts from Roman GaulChristine Bonnet25. Animal remains in burialsPatrice Méniel 26. The walking dead – life after death: archaeoentomological evidence in a Roman catacomb: (Saints Marcellinus and Peter, central area, 1st-3rd century AD)Jean-Bernard Huchet and Dominique CastexPart IV: Applied sciences, experiments and legal considerations27. From flesh to bone: building bridges between taphonomy, archaeothanatology and forensic science for a better understanding of mortuary practices Eline M.J. Schotsmans, Patrice Georges-Zimmerman, Maiken Ueland, and Boyd B. Dent28. Exploring the use of actualistic forensic taphonomy in the study of (forensic) archaeological human burials: An actualistic experimental research programme at the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State University (FACTS), San Marcos, TexasHayley L. Mickleburgh, Daniel J. Wescott, Sarah Gluschitz, and M. Victor Klinkenberg29. An experimental approach to the interpretation of prehistoric cremation and cremation burialsMogens B. Henriksen 30. The taphonomic and archaeothanatological potentials of diagenetic alterations of archaeological boneThomas J. Booth, David Brönniman, Richard Madgwick, and Cordula Portmann31. 3D models as useful tools in archaeothanatologyGéraldine Sachau-Carcel32. Use of archaeothanatology in preventive (salvage/rescue) archaeology and field research archaeology Mark Guillon33. Managing and reburying ancient human remains in France: From legal and ethical concerns to field practicesGaëlle ClavandierPart V: Lexicon of archaeothanatological terms34. Lexicon of terms used in archaeothanatology: A work still in the process of becoming Christopher J. Knüsel, Karina Gerdau-Radonić, and Eline M.J. Schotsmans

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Book SynopsisHow is meaning in our bodies constructed? To what extent is meaning in bodies innate, evolved through biological adaptations? To what extent is meaning in bodies culturally constructed? Does it change when we adorn ourselves in dress? In Adorning Bodies, Marilynn Johnson draws on evolutionary theory and philosophy in order to think about art, beauty, and aesthetics.Considering meaning in bodies and bodily adornment, she explores how the ways we use our bodies are similar to yet at other times different from animals. Johnson engages with the work of evolutionary theorists, philosophers of language, and cultural theorists Charles Darwin, H. P. Grice, and Roland Barthes respectively to examine both natural and non-natural meanings. She addresses how both systems of meaning signify relevant information to other humans, with respect to both bodies and clothes. Johnson also demonstrates that how we dress could negatively influence the way our bodies can be read, and howTrade Review[H]ighly engaging and insightful, it comes as a very welcome entryway into discussions in the present and also leading philosophers into future avenues of research. Johnson presents astute analysis, while demonstrating each move of the argument with examples from history, popular culture, and science. Taking cues from theories of culture, biology, and psychology, this book maintains its core presence as philosophy, while exemplifying the kind of interdisciplinary research that should guide more academics. * Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics *Adorning Bodies is an important reminder of our embodied lives, where our adorned bodies are imbued with meaning, and that ‘everything speaks’. Johnson provides us with a fresh take on these themes, bringing the philosophy of language to life by applying it to our bodily selves in a lucid and engaging way. * Suki Finn, Lecturer, Royal Holloway University of London, UK *Johnson interprets adornment through the combined lenses of the philosophy of language and evolutionary theory. The result is interesting, informative and very enjoyable. The book is full of great insights, and made me re-evaluate my relationship to the clothes I wear. It's an excellent contribution to the literature. * Richard Moore, Senior Research Fellow, University of Warwick, UK *Adorning Bodies invites us to consider how our bodies and clothing convey meaning, for better or for worse. Johnson masterfully appeals to the philosophy of language and evolutionary theory to develop a rich account of the meaning woven into the fabric we wear. From Darwin to Stonewall, the book makes elegant use of historical texts and contemporary examples. It will be invaluable for scholars and interesting to anyone who wants to think more deeply about what it means to get dressed. * Kate Moran, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Brandeis University, USA *Marilynn Johnson's Adorning Bodies rigorously and insightfully brings together three disciplines rarely combined in a unified framework, namely, the philosophy of language, evolutionary theory, and aesthetics. Focusing on bodily adornment, Johnson is able to carefully dissect such issues, among others as the question of whether animals create art, while also arguing that some high fashion is art, properly so called. Written with exemplary clarity, the range of issues is broad with many engaging examples that establish that the philosophy of adornment is a vast understudied area calling for further, continuing inquiry and discussion. * Noël Carroll, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, USA *Table of Contents1. Meaning in Bodies and Adornment 2. Taking Adornment Seriously: Structuralism and Meaning 3. Details on the Gricean View 4. Deception in the Human and Animal Worlds (Imitation of Natural Meaning & Lying in Non-Natural Meaning) 5. Darwin on Animal Bodies 6. Human Sexual Selection 7. The Evolution of Bodily Adornment: Signaling and Meaning-Making in Prehistory 8. Information, Misperception, Suppression, Expression 9. On Beauty: Aesthetic Choices, Adornment, & Art Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Tomb of the Mili Mongga lives up to its magnificent billing' DAILY TELEGRAPH-A fossil expedition becomes a thrilling search for a mythical beast deep in the Indonesian forest and a fascinating look at how fossils, folklore, and biodiversity converge.A tale of exciting scientific discovery, The Tomb of the Mili Mongga tells the story of Samuel Turvey''s expeditions to the island of Sumba in eastern Indonesia. While there, he discovers an entire recently extinct mammal fauna from the island's fossil record, revealing how islands support some of the world's most remarkable biodiversity, and why many of these unique endemic species are threatened with extinction or have already been lost.But as the story unfolds, an unexpected narrative emerges Sumba's Indigenous communities tell of a mysterious wildman called the ''mili mongga'', a giant yeti-like beast that supposedly lives in the island's remote forests. Trade ReviewA thoughtful and approachable scientific travelogue stuffed with mystery, humor, and ... monsters? You'll never think about fossils in the same way again! A must read. * Beth Shapiro *Turvey's gripping adventures are a quest to understand human consciousness and explore the differences between cultural truths and scientific facts. * Richard Fortey *Part travelogue and part science, Samuel Turvey’s The Tomb of the Mili Mongga seeks out those elusive links between the present and the past, between fossils and folklore, and brings the reader along on an unexpected journey of discovery. * Steve Brusatte *Like a marvellous combination of H Rider Haggard and Gerald Durrell … Turvey brings fascinatingly diverse scholarship to bear, from theories of species extinction to joyous readings in folklore and anthropology. * Daily Telegraph *Table of ContentsPrologue: Anselm and Gaunilo Chapter One: Splendid Isolation Chapter Two: Sumba, East of Java Chapter Three: Glutton-Granny Chapter Four: Storytelling Chapter Five: Rodents of Unusual Size Chapter Six: Tulang Junkie Chapter Seven: The Wall of the Mili Mongga Chapter Eight: An Interlude with Giant Rats Chapter Nine: The Island of the Day Before Chapter Ten: They Might Be Giants Chapter Eleven: The Perfect Island – A Fairy Tale for Biologists Acknowledgements Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe first publication to outline the complex global story of human migration and dispersal throughout the whole of human prehistory. Utilizing archaeological, linguistic and biological evidence, Peter Bellwood traces the journeys of the earliest hunter-gatherer and agriculturalist migrants as critical elements in the evolution of human lifeways. The first volume to chart global human migration and population dispersal throughout the whole of human prehistory, in all regions of the world An archaeological odyssey that details the initial spread of early humans out of Africa approximately two million years ago, through the Ice Ages, and down to the continental and island migrations of agricultural populations within the past 10,000 years Employs archaeological, linguistic and biological evidence to demonstrate how migration has always been a vital and complex element in explaining the evolution of the human species Outlines how significant migraTrade Review“In sum, First Migrantsis a commendable effort to synthesize a growing body of literature on the subject and will serve as a useful and much needed text for courses on the subject. For those generally unfamiliar with different parts of the world and why people moved to and fro, Bellwood has offered an attractive resource and one which should prove useful in that regard for years to come.” (American Antiquity, 1 July 2014) “This is a significant contribution to our understanding of world archaeology.” (Antiquity, 1 June 2014) Table of ContentsList of Figures ix Preface xiv A Note on Dating Terminology xvi Acknowledgements xvii 1 The Relevance and Reality of Ancient Migration 1 Migration in Prehistoric Times 4 Hypothesizing About Prehistoric Migrations 6 Migrations in History and Ethnography 8 The Helvetii 8 Ancient China 9 Medieval Iceland 10 The Nuer of Sudan 10 The Iban of Sarawak 12 Relevance for Prehistoric Migration? 13 2 Making Inferences About Prehistoric Migration 17 Changes in Time and Space – Genes, Languages, Cultures 18 Human Biology, Genetics, and Migration 19 Demic Diffusion 21 Language Families and the Study of Migration in Prehistory 22 Language Family Spread: Lessons from Recent History 26 Language Family Spread: Lessons from Anthropology 28 Dating the Spreads of Language Families 29 Cultures in Archaeology – Do They Equate with Linguistic and Biological Populations? 30 Archaeology and the Study of Migration in Prehistory 32 One End of the Spectrum – Intensive Culture Change without Significant Migration 32 The Other End of the Spectrum – Intensive Cultural Change with Significant Migration 33 3 Migrating Hominins and the Rise of Our Own Species 36 Behavioral Characteristics and Origins of Early Hominins in Africa 38 First Hominin Migration(s) – Out of Africa 1 41 Unfolding Species in Time and Space 46 Java, Flores, and Crossing the Sea 48 Out of Africa 2? 50 Out of Africa 3? The Origins of H. sapiens 52 The Recognition of Modern Humans in Biology and Archaeology 54 The Expansion of Modern Humans Across the African and Eurasian Continents, 130,000–45,000 Years Ago 58 Africa 58 The Levant and Southern Asia 60 Northern and Western Eurasia 63 The Fate of the Neanderthals 66 Explanations? 67 4 Beyond Eurasia: The Pioneers of Unpeopled Lands – Wallacea and Beyond, Australia, The Americas 71 Crossing the Sea Beyond Sundaland 72 How Many Settlers? 74 The First Australo-Melanesians 76 The Archaeology of Island Colonization – Wallacea, Melanesia, Australia 77 Heading North and Offshore Again – Japan 81 The Americas 83 Getting to Beringia 84 Circumventing the Ice 88 The Rapid Unfolding of American Colonization 90 5 Hunter-Gatherer Migrations in a Warming Postglacial World 96 Postglacial Recolonizations in Northern Eurasia 97 After the First Americans: Further Migrations Across Bering Strait 101 Na-Dene and Yeniseian 101 The Apachean Migration 104 The Holocene Colonizations of Arctic Coastal North America 105 The Thule Migration and the Inuit 107 The Early Holocene Colonization of a Green Sahara 109 Continental Shelves and Their Significance for Human Migration 112 Holocene Australia – Pama-Nyungan Migration? 113 Linguistic Prehistory during the Australian Holocene 117 Who Were the Ancestral Pama-Nyungans? 119 6 The First Farmers and Their Offspring 123 Where and When Did Food Production Begin? 124 Why Did Food Production Develop in Some Places, but Not Others? 127 Why Was Domesticated Food Production Relatively Slow to Develop? 128 Food Production and Population Expansion 129 The Neolithic 133 Food Production as the Driving Force of Early Agriculturalist Migration 135 7 The Fertile Crescent Food Production Complex 140 Agricultural Origins in the Fertile Crescent 141 Neolithic and Chalcolithic Expansion Beyond the Fertile Crescent 147 Anatolia and Southeastern Europe 147 Neolithic Migration Beyond Greece and the Balkans 149 The Steppes and Central Asia 151 Iran, Pakistan, and South Asia Beyond the Indus 153 Linguistic History and the Spread of the Fertile Crescent Food Production Complex 157 Perspectives from Indo-European 157 The Possible Significance of the Turkic and Yeniseian Languages in Central Asia 163 West Eurasian Genetic and Population History in the Holocene 165 Peninsular Indian Archaeology and Dravidian Linguistic History 168 The Spread of the Fertile Crescent Food-Producing Economy into North Africa 169 The Fertile Crescent Food Production Complex and Its Impact on Holocene Prehistory in Western Eurasia 172 8 The East Asian and Western Pacific Food Production Complexes 178 Agricultural Origins in the Yellow and Yangzi Basins of East Asia 178 Migrations from the Yellow River Basin 181 Migrations from the Yangzi Basin – Mainland Southeast Asia 182 Early Rice and the Linguistic Record 187 Genetics, Human Biology, and the East Asian Mainland during the Holocene 189 Island Southeast Asia and Oceania 191 The Colonization of Oceania 194 The History of the Austronesian Language Family 197 Biological Anthropology and the Austronesians 201 The East Asian and Western Pacific Food Production Complexes and Their Impacts on Holocene Prehistory 204 9 The African and American Food Production Complexes 210 Food Production in Sub-Saharan Africa 211 West Africa and the Niger-Congo-Speaking Populations 213 The African Food Production Complex in Perspective 218 Holocene Migrations in the Americas 219 The Central Andes 221 Amazonia 224 The Caribbean Islands 228 Mesoamerica 229 Northern Mesoamerica, the Southwestern United States, and the Uto-Aztecans 230 The Eastern Woodlands 234 The American Food Production Complexes and Their Impacts on Holocene Prehistory 238 10 The Role of Migration in the History of Humanity 243 References 249 Index 299

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Book SynopsisLike Donald Johanson's Lucy, this first-person narrative about an archaeological discovery is rewriting the story of human evolution. A story of defiance and determination by a controversial scientist, this is Lee Berger's own take on finding Homo naledi, an all-new species on the human family tree.

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Book Synopsis A true-life scientific adventure story, this thrilling book takes the reader deep into South African caves to discover fossil remains that compel a monumental reframing of the human family tree.In the summer of 2022, Lee Berger lost 50 pounds in order to wriggle though impossibly small openings in the Rising Star cave complex in South Africa—spaces where his team has been unearthing the remains of Homo naledi, a proto-human likely to have coexisted with Homo sapiens some 250,000 years ago. The lead researcher on the site, still Berger had never made his way into the dark, cramped, dangerous underground spaces where many of the naledi fossils had been found. Now he was ready to do so. Once inside the cave, Berger made shocking new discoveries that expand our understanding of this early hominid—discoveries that stand to alter our fundamental understanding of what makes us human. So what does it all mean?Join B

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Book SynopsisBrings the science of biological anthropology to bear on understanding how our evolutionary history has shaped a phenomenon everyone has experienced childhood.Tracking deep into our evolutionary history, anthropological science has begun to unravel one particular feature that sets us apart from the many, many animals that came before us our uniquely long childhoods. Growing Up Human looks at how we have diverged from our ancestral roots to stay forever young' or at least what seems like forever and how the evolution of childhood is a critical part of the human story.Beginning with a look at the ways animals invest in their offspring, the book moves through the many steps of making a baby, from pair-bonding to hidden ovulation, points where our species has repeatedly stepped off the standard primate path. From the mystery of monogamy to the minefield of modern parenting advice, biological anthropologist Brenna Hassett reveals how differences betweeTrade ReviewSuperb … and often hilarious. Growing Up Human is what happens when science meets an unusually entertaining and uninhibited writer … should be appreciated by anyone pregnant, planning to be pregnant, or who has ever had a child or been one. * Wall Street Journal *A thought-provoking discussion about why humans experience a long childhood ... Hassett artfully dissects the sometimes problematic dogma surrounding growth and development, such as whether physical size predicts life span; debunks common myths, such as the idea that the reproductive cycles of women who regularly interact with one another will synchronize; and rejects falsehoods, such as the idea that toxins are produced during the menstrual cycle. * Science *Bioarchaeologist Brenna Hassett’s intriguing, entertaining book looks at childhood. She examines distinctive aspects from messy mating and dangerous pregnancies to the puzzling human fondness for formal education and love of the written word. * Nature *With characteristic wit, humour and verve, Brenna Hassett delves deep into our evolutionary past and inner nature to explain why humans are ‘the ape who never grew up’. * Alice Roberts *Bursting with fascinating ideas and surprising facts, Growing Up Human pulls off a masterly trick, with such lucid and entertaining writing that even complex scientific ideas slip down a treat. This is human evolution at its most captivating; clever and charming, just like our amazing babies. * Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of Kindred *It is a comprehensive, thorough, accurate review of recent anthropological findings on everything from pregnancy and birth to lactation, tooth development, play, and learning... This is an excellent book for mothers * Choice *Table of ContentsChapter 1: Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary: An Introduction Chapter 2: Pop! Goes the Weasel: Life History and Why it Matters Chapter 3: Two Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed: Making More Monkeys Chapter 4: A Froggy Would A-Courting Go: How Weird is Monogamy? Chapter 5: Georgie Porgie, Pudding and Pie: Conception and Fertility and Fat Chapter 6: Bake Me a Cake as Fast as You Can: the Joys of Gestation Chapter 7: Cackle, Cackle, Mother Goose: Having a Baby Chapter 8: See-Saw, Margery Daw: Cultural Adaptations to Birth Chapter 9: Bye, Baby Bunting: Caring for a Child the Old-Fashioned Way Chapter 10: Old Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard: the Magic of Milk Chapter 11: Hey Diddle Diddle: the Cultural Life of Milk

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Book SynopsisThe sixth edition of this bestselling text offers a concise history of anthropological theory from antiquity to the twenty-first century, with new and significantly revised sections that reflect the current state of the field.Table of ContentsList of Figures Preface Timeline Introduction Part One: The Early History of Anthropological Theory Anthropology in Antiquity The Middle Ages The Renaissance Voyages of Geographical Discovery The Scientific Revolution The Enlightenment The Rise of Positivism Marxism Classical Cultural Evolutionism Evolutionism versus Diffusionism Archaeology Comes of Age Charles Darwin and Darwinism Sigmund Freud Émile Durkheim Marcel Mauss Max Weber Ferdinand de Saussure Part Two: The Earlier Twentieth Century American Cultural Anthropology Franz Boas Robert Lowie and Alfred Louis Kroeber Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict Zora Neale Hurston Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf The Development of Psychological Anthropology British Social Anthropology A.R. Radcliffe-Brown Bronislaw Malinowski E.E. Evans-Pritchard Edmund Leach Max Gluckman and the “Manchester School” The Legacy of British Social Anthropology Part Three: The Later Twentieth Century French Structural Anthropology Claude Lévi-Strauss Mary Douglas Latter-Day Structuralists Structural Marxists Marshall Sahlins The Legacy of French Structural Anthropology Cognitive Anthropology Ethnoscience and the “New Ethnography” Cultural Neo-evolutionism Leslie White Julian Steward Marshall Sahlins and Elman Service The New Archaeology Cultural Materialism Marvin Harris Nature versus Nurture Biology of Behaviour The New Physical Anthropology Ethology and Behavioural Genetics Sociobiology The Symbolic Turn Victor Turner and Symbolic Anthropology Clifford Geertz and Interpretive Anthropology Post-processual Archaeology The Influence of Symbolic and Interpretive Approaches Transactionalism Fredrik Barth Anthropology and Feminism Political Economy Marx and the World System Sins of the Fathers Ideology, Culture, and Power Postcolonialism Linguistic Anthropology Comes of Age Speech Acts and the Ethnography of Communication Ethnolinguistics and Sociolinguistics Postmodernity Paul Feyerabend Michel Foucault Pierre Bourdieu Anthropology as Text Critical Medical Anthropology Part Four: The Early Twenty-First Century Globalization Culture, Gender, and Sexualities Public Anthropology Development and Controversy Distinguishing Public from Applied Anthropology Debating Fieldwork Ethics and the Military Serving a Global Public World Traditions and Collaborative Anthropology National Traditions and the Dominance of Anglo-America Collaboration with “Other” Voices Anthropologies of the Digital Age

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Book SynopsisThrough the Lens of Anthropology is a concise introduction to anthropology that uses the twin themes of food and sustainability to connect evolution, biology, archaeology, history, language, and culture. The third edition remains a highly readable text that encourages students to think about current events and issues through an anthropological lens.Beautifully illustrated with over 100 full-color images and maps, along with detailed figures and boxes, this is an anthropology book with a fresh perspective and a lively narrative that is filled with popular topics. The new edition has been updated to reflect the most recent developments in anthropology and the contributions of marginalized scholars, while the use of gender-neutral language makes for a more inclusive text. New content offers anthropological insight into contemporary issues such as COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, and #MeToo.Through the Lens of Anthropology continues to be an essential text forTable of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Boxes Acknowledgments About the Authors Preface Note to Instructors Note to Students 1. Introduction: Viewing the World through the Lens of Anthropology 2. We Are Primates: The Primate Background 3. Evolutionary Thought and Theory 4. Human Biological Evolution 5. Cultural Diversity from 2.53 Million to 20,000 Years Ago 6. Cultural Diversity from 20,000 to 5,000 Years Ago 7. Archaeology of the Last 5,000 Years 8. Studying Culture 9. Language and Culture 10. Food-Getting and Economics 11. Marriage, Family, and Gender, and Sexuality 12. Political Organization 13. Supernaturalism 14. Anthropology and Sustainability Glossary References Index

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Book SynopsisIn the early twentieth century, people in the southwestern Pacific nation of Vanuatu experienced rapid population decline, while in the early twenty-first century, they experienced rapid population growth. From colonial governance to postcolonial sovereignty, Moral Figures shows that despite attempts to govern population size and birth, reproduction in Vanuatu continues to exceed bureaucratic economization through Ni-Vanuatu insistence on Indigenous relationalities. Through her examination of how reproduction is made public, Alexandra Widmer demonstrates how population sciences have naturalized a focus on women’s fertility and privileged issues of wage labour over women’s land access and broader social relations of reproduction. Widmer draws on oral histories with retired village midwives and massage healers on the changes to care for pregnancy and birth, as well as ethnographic research in a village outside the capital of Port Vila. Locating the Pacific Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Map of the Pacific Ocean and Vanuatu Map of South Efate Map of Port Vila Acknowledgments Preface Introduction 1. “The Shortage of Women Is the Cause of These Courts”: Imbalanced Sex Ratios, Native Courts, and Marriage Disputes Made Public, 1910–1950 2. “The Nurses Looked Out for Us!”: Hospital Births, Relational Infrastructures, and Public Concerns, 1950–1970 3. “It Will Help Planning for the Future”: Making Men’s and Women’s “Subsistence” Public Knowledge in the First Census, 1966–1967 4. “I Just Wanted to Be Invisible”: “Young Mothers” from Global Discourse to Village Experience, 2010–2020 5. “Well-Being for Melanesia”: Alternative Indicators, Massage Healers, and Reciprocal Relationships, 2010–2020 Epilogue: Relations of Reproduction and Survival in the Anthropocene Appendix 1: Population Size from 1850 to 2020 Appendix 2: Overview of Biomedical Health Services in Vanuatu in 1954 Works Cited

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Book SynopsisIn the early twentieth century, people in the southwestern Pacific nation of Vanuatu experienced rapid population decline, while in the early twenty-first century, they experienced rapid population growth. From colonial governance to postcolonial sovereignty, Moral Figures shows that despite attempts to govern population size and birth, reproduction in Vanuatu continues to exceed bureaucratic economization through Ni-Vanuatu insistence on Indigenous relationalities. Through her examination of how reproduction is made public, Alexandra Widmer demonstrates how population sciences have naturalized a focus on women’s fertility and privileged issues of wage labour over women’s land access and broader social relations of reproduction. Widmer draws on oral histories with retired village midwives and massage healers on the changes to care for pregnancy and birth, as well as ethnographic research in a village outside the capital of Port Vila. Locating the Pacific Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Map of the Pacific Ocean and Vanuatu Map of South Efate Map of Port Vila Acknowledgments Preface Introduction 1. “The Shortage of Women Is the Cause of These Courts”: Imbalanced Sex Ratios, Native Courts, and Marriage Disputes Made Public, 1910–1950 2. “The Nurses Looked Out for Us!”: Hospital Births, Relational Infrastructures, and Public Concerns, 1950–1970 3. “It Will Help Planning for the Future”: Making Men’s and Women’s “Subsistence” Public Knowledge in the First Census, 1966–1967 4. “I Just Wanted to Be Invisible”: “Young Mothers” from Global Discourse to Village Experience, 2010–2020 5. “Well-Being for Melanesia”: Alternative Indicators, Massage Healers, and Reciprocal Relationships, 2010–2020 Epilogue: Relations of Reproduction and Survival in the Anthropocene Appendix 1: Population Size from 1850 to 2020 Appendix 2: Overview of Biomedical Health Services in Vanuatu in 1954 Works Cited

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Book SynopsisWhile creativity and solidarity form the main constructive profile for our species, the primal animal drive for dominance involving basal brain circuits places our future at risk. This bipolar nature distorts the global perspective of our collective future and ecological conditions. Our species' behavioural construction has its roots in ancestral habits and survival drives that were crystallized in basic neurobehavioral circuits over millennia, be it as predators or potential prey. Its expression acquired further complexity through the development of social/cultural cues, and was kept-in-check by conditional inhibitory processes. How much of our current drive - individually and as a global community - is caused by those inherited traits imprinted in our animal condition? This book analyses the increasing bipolar construction in terms of dominant groups affecting critical access to current knowledge and information, a profound gap among populations concerning a modern humane quality of life, and present trends pertaining to our ecological habitat. These dynamic processes seem to be in a free-running mode, only conditioned by the prevalence of power concentration in the hands of worldwide minority groups. This worldwide disjointed perspective is further distorted by diverse cultural profiles and interests accessing information and its impact on lifestyles. Our species' true nature has highly conserved remnants of our animal origin expressed as animal drives embodied before and during the evolutionary process as Homo and under inhibitory social control. These involve territorial, survival, and dominant cues on top of which sapiens' cultural development profiles have taken place; that is, the hidden ancestral human nature. Competition to control and prevail in those domains has unveiled a long-lived struggle for dominance in political and financial (corporate- or state-bound) prevalence. Below this stratum of power-seekers, a large proportion of the service-bound and marginal populations crawl for their survival, often approaching inhuman conditions. Fundamentalist beliefs, the disregard of environmental abuse, belligerence to resolve discrepancies, personal and group-centred greed, growing inequalities, disinformation from dominant carriers, and intolerance to alternative viewpoints describe our species' developmentally immature collective behaviour. If not just an evolutionary stage, then we in fact belong to the "wrong species" (Colombo, 2010), and are on a path toward our demise or a bipolar evolution of our species, but not necessarily a collective, cooperative, shared development that respects various cultural profiles. The increasing speed of knowledge development widens the gap among populations with different cultural values and those that are underdeveloped or living in subhuman conditions. Since we exited the period of egalitarian-prone hunter gatherers, we have been conditioned by elite or institutionalized dominant powers and given limited access to information, which is used as a means for domination. Hence, our future depends not only on our social, political, and financial decision-makers but also on the degree of our permissive, functional absence from such a scenario.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments; A Few General Premises; Preliminary Notes; Foreword; The Hidden Ancestral Human Nature; Global Access to Quality of Life: Human and Ecological Domains. An Evolutive Concept of Poverty and Marginality; Political and Financial Corporate Powers Drive Informational Development and Expansion of Prevalent Groups of Opinion. The Internet Missile and Its Limitations to Penetrate Cultural Structures; Institutional Attempts to Translate into Figures the Presence of Global Developmental Conditions. Further Contrasting Data on the World State of Affairs Regarding Social Equity; Further Consequences of Socio-Political Practices; Additional Factors Feeding the Grand Divide; The Sociocultural gap: Possible Paths towards the Future. Greed and Profit are the Backbones of Capitalism; Social Benefits Are just a Spin-off and an Instrument for Further Expansion of Dominance. The Concept of Profit as Fuel for Human Evolution. Relative Rates of Technological Evolution Concerning the Populations Critical Knowledge and Awareness; The Homo inside the Sapiens: The Evolutive Concept of Dominance and Its Widespread Expression at All Levels of the Human Sociocultural Domain. Social Inequity and Its Evolutive Anlage. The Global Human Condition, Another Version of the Cultural Derivation from Our Animal Heritage. Technological Development and Extraterrestrial Space Exploration: Reaching the Event Zone of Our Human Exploratory Drive; Addendum; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisDown from the Trees: Man’s Amazing Transition from Tree-Dwelling Ape Ancestors covers the evolution of man from tree-dwelling ape to Homo sapiens as he is today. Using easy-to-read language, the author takes complex, jargon-filled material and extracts the essence of the topic and coveys it in a clear and engaging manner. He approaches the subject of human evolution from three different disciplines: fossil evidence and its interpretation, evolutionary theory and its applicability, and genetic evidence and its ability to unlock prehistoric information. The third discipline has advanced unbelievably in the last few years, and this book includes the most up-to-date research.There is nothing more interesting to humans than the story of their origins. The evolutionary process of a tree-dwelling ape becoming a walking, talking man who has developed the technology to walk on the moon, transplant hearts, or modify living things is no trivial story. This book provides a fascinating and comprehensive view of what science has learned of human evolution. Table of ContentsPart 1: Fossils Tell a Story 1. Stratigraphy 2. Time Divisions 3. The K/T Extinctions and the Mammalian Species Radiation 4. Primates and Apes Part 2: Bipedal Species 5. Fossils and Human Evolution 6. The Paleo-Anthropologists 7. Overview of Our Distant Ancestors 8. Ardi 9. Lucy and Australopithecus afarensis 10. Australopithecus sediba 11. Homo naledi 12. Homo erectus 13. Neanderthal Man 14. Homo sapiens Part 3: How Evolution Works 15. Charles Darwin 16. The Modern Synthesis 17. Richard Dawkins, the Darwin of Our Times 18. How New Species Form 19. Red Queen Effect 20. Evolution of Bipedal Apes and Humans Part 4: DNA: A Powerful New Tool 21. Introduction to DNA Technology 22. The Race to Discover DNA’s Structure 23. Discovering the Secret to Life 24. Mutations and Junk DNA Part 5: DNA Applied to Paleoanthropology 25. DNA Science Applied to Human Origins 26. Tracing Our Ape Heritage 27. The Age and Origin of Our Species 28. Out of Africa 29. Neanderthal-Human Interbreeding 30. Denisovan-Human Interbreeding Part 6: Uniquely Human Evolution 31. Bipedal Walking 32. Hairlessness 33. Big Brain Development 34. Speech and Language 35. Fire, Cooking and Tools 36. Sex Part 7: Homo Sapiens Dominate 37. Great Leap Forward 38. Agriculture and Civilization 39. The Journey from Ape to Man 40. What the Future Holds

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Book SynopsisBones and Bodies is a highly accessible account of the establishment of the scientific discipline of biological anthropology. Alan G Morris takes us back over the past century of anthropological discovery in South Africa and uncovers the stories of individual scientists and researchers who played a significant role in shaping perceptions of how peoples of southern Africa, both ancient and modern, came to be viewed and categorised both in the public imagination and the scientific literature.Morris reveals how much of the earlier anthropological studies were tainted with the tarred brush of race science, evaluating the works of famous anthropologists and archaeologists such as Raymond Dart, Thomas Dreyer, Matthew Drennan and Robert Broom. Morris also considers how modern anthropology tried to rid itself of the stigma of these early racist accounts. In the 1960s and 1970s, Ronald Singer and Phillip Tobias introduced modern methods into the discipline that disputed much of what the public wished to believe about race and human evolution. Bones and Bodies shows the battle facing modern anthropology to acknowledge its racial past but also how its study of human variation remains an important field of enquiry at institutions of higher learning.Table of Contents List of Illustrations A Note on the Use of Historical Terminology Acknowledgements List of Characters with Dates of Birth, Death and Affiliation Schema of Types Introduction Chapter 1 Dr Louis Péringuey’s Well-Travelled Skeletons Chapter 2 Boskop: The First South African Fossil Human Celebrity Chapter 3 Matthew Drennan and the Scottish Influence in Cape Town Chapter 4 The Age of Racial Typology in South Africa Chapter 5 Raymond Dart’s Complicated Legacy Chapter 6 Ronald Singer, Phillip Tobias and the ‘New Physical Anthropology’ Chapter 7 Physical Anthropology and the Administration of Apartheid Chapter 8 The Politics of Racial Classification in Modern South Africa Select Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis'A fascinating new analysis of human violence, filled with fresh ideas and gripping evidence from our primate cousins, historical forebears, and contemporary neighbors' Steven Pinker 'A brilliant analysis of the role of aggression in our evolutionary history' Jane Goodall It may not always seem so, but day-to-day interactions between individual humans are extraordinarily peaceful. That is not to say that we are perfect, just far less violent than most animals, especially our closest relatives, the chimpanzee and their legendarily docile cousins, the Bonobo. Perhaps surprisingly, we rape, maim, and kill many fewer of our neighbours than all other primates and almost all undomesticated animals. But there is one form of violence that humans exceed all other animals in by several degrees: organized proactive violence against other groups of humans. It seems, we are the only animal that goes to war. In the Goodness Paradox, Richard Wrangham wrestles with this paradox at the heart of human behaviour. Drawing on new research by geneticists, neuroscientists, primatologists, and archaeologists, he shows that what domesticated our species was nothing less than the invention of capital punishment which eliminated the least cooperative and most aggressive among us. But that development is exactly what laid the groundwork for the worst of our atrocities.Trade ReviewMagisterial ... [an] extraordinarily detailed, cogently argued, hugely important book -- Paul Levy * Spectator *His skilful storytelling-which intertwines his hypotheses regarding primitive humans with rich details from decades of observations of chimpanzees in Tanzania-makes his book both stimulating and compelling * The Economist *A brilliant analysis of the role of aggression in our evolutionary history -- Jane GoodallNobody knows more, thinks deeper, or writes better about the evolution of modern human beings than Richard Wrangham. Here he reveals a rich and satisfying story about the self-domestication of our species, drawing upon remarkable observations and experiments -- Matt RidleyA fascinating new analysis of human violence, filled with fresh ideas and gripping evidence from our primate cousins, historical forebears, and contemporary neighbors -- Steven PinkerIn this revolutionary, illuminating, and dazzling book, Wrangham provides the first compelling explanation for how and why humans can be so cooperative, kind, and compassionate, yet simultaneously so brutal, aggressive, and cruel. His brilliant self-domestication hypothesis will transform your views of what it means to be human -- Daniel E. Lieberman, author of The Story of the Human BodyThis will prove to be one of the most important publications of our time. Fully supported scientific information from many directions leads us to a new and compelling analysis of our evolutionary history. Every page is fascinating, every revelation is unforgettable. It will change how we see ourselves, our past, and our future -- Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of DogsRichard Wrangham has written a brilliant and honest book about humanity's central contradiction: that we are capable of mass murder but live in societies with almost no violence. No other species straddles such a wide gap, and the reasons are staggeringly obvious once Wrangham lays them out in his calm, learned prose. This book is science writing at its best: lucid, rational and yet deeply concerned with humanity -- Sebastian Junger, author of Tribe, War and The Perfect StormThis is the most thought-provoking book I have read in years. In clear, elegant prose, drawing on riveting data and vivid scenes gathered from species all over the world, renowned anthropologist Richard Wrangham examines the issues most central to human morality. How did the concepts of right and wrong evolve? Why does our kind excel at both cooperating with others and at waging war? The Goodness Paradox is a breakthrough book that deserves careful reading, thoughtful consideration, and lively debate among all those who care about our evolutionary history and the future of human morality -- Sy Montgomery, author of Walking with the Great Apes and How to Be a Good CreaturePraise for Catching Fire: Startling and persuasive * Economist *Richard Wrangham presents a powerful thesis - and the more you think about it, the more it seems to be true. As a very considerable bonus, his book is an excellent read -- Colin Tudge * Literary Review *An intriguing thesis... Wrangham's basic thesis, that cooking is the key to the human condition, is convincing and is presented in a lively and readable manner -- Robin McKie * Observer *Lucidly written and accessible... What makes his thesis so gripping to read is that it is elegantly argued, step by step -- Harry Eyres * Financial Times *Compelling [and] brilliant -- William Leith * Daily Mail *A daringly unorthodox book, and one that might just transform the way we understand ourselves. -- James McConnachie * The Sunday Times *This superbly lucid and comprehensive book shows how important cooking was to making us human. Food, its composition, and how it's harvested and processed are critical in the evolution of every animal species. This masterful work shows how cooking was-and continues to be-an essential part of humanity -- David Pilbeam, Henry Ford II Professor of Human Evolution, Harvard University[Wrangham] has delivered a rare thing: a slim book ... that contains serious science yet is related in direct, no-nonsense prose. It is toothsome, skillfully prepared brain food. -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *Absolutely fascinating -- Nigella LawsonRichard Wrangham's book is a tour de force on how to study human evolution, combining original ideas with an extraordinary range of science. With elegance and clarity, he has shown how cooking permeates all human life, and must have played a major part in making us what we are as a species -- Robert Foley, Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, University of CambridgeCatching Fire is an extraordinary book-a truly important insight into our human past, and as always with Wrangham's work, a real page turner. He has the great gift of making hard and accurate science seem like an adventure story, as indeed it is. Like Demonic Males, Catching Fire will be read in many circles, from classrooms to general readers, to the enlightenment of us all. -- Elizabeth Marshall ThomasIt's nice to have it confirmed that the raw foodists are not just annoying but also wrong... [Richard Wrangham] writes in this brilliant and original piece of science writing, which explains nothing less than who we are and how we got here... With devastating clarity he shows that the "Man the Hunter" thesis simply does not add up... Wrangham convincingly argues that unlike animals, human beings could not flourish on a raw diet (so yah-boo to the wheatgrass evangelists!)... you have to pinch yourself from time to time to remember just how new Wrangham's argument is. Something this big and original in evolutionary studies doesn't come along very often... In many ways, this is an exhilarating book... It is, too, a good book for vegetarians, who for too long have endured the Neanderthal taunts of carnivorous chefs -- Bee Wilson * the Times *Brilliantly Original and illuminating -- Michael Kerrigan * Scotsman *Able to see my preparations for Sunday lunch in a dizzying new perspective... Catching Fire is very readable and not in the least technical. Wrangham makes a compelling case... Wrangham's placing of cooking at the centre of what it is to be human carries a great deal of emotional conviction too. The ritual of the family Sunday lunch now also celebrates the birth of our species -- Ian Irvine * Evening Standard *Good, big ideas about evolution are rare... Catching Fire is that rare thing, an exhilarating science book. And one that, for all its foodie topicality, means to stand the test of time -- Simon Ings * Sunday Telegraph *Transforms a daily chore into a pivotal existential act stretching back millennia... a hugely readable history of our culinary pedigree... an energetic and enjoyable book... In this vivid account of human evolution, there's no need to cook the books * Sunday Business Post *Richard Wrangham's ingredients are freshly gathered from an impressive variety of fields -- Steve Jones * Guardian *This is the best kind of scientific writing: clear, strongly argued and provocative. That it's still contentious makes it all the more exciting. * The Weekend Australian *

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Book SynopsisThis volume presents the lithic assemblage from Howburn in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, which at present is the oldest prehistoric settlement in Scotland (12,700-12,000 BC), and the only Hamburgian settlement in Britain. The site also included a scatter from the Late Upper Palaeolithic Federmesser- Gruppen period (12,000-10,800 BC), as well as lithics from the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. The book focuses on the Hamburgian finds, which are mainly based on the exploitation of flint from Doggerland, the then dry bed of the North Sea. The Hamburgian tools include tanged arrowheads, scrapers, piercers, burins, and other implement forms which show similarities with tools of the same age on the European continent. The shape of one scatter suggests that the Palaeolithic settlers lived in tent-like structures. The Palaeolithic finds from Howburn shed light on several important general trends, such as the ‘acclimatization’ of pioneer settlers, as well as the development of regional differences following the initial Late Glacial recolonization of Scotland. Palaeo-environmental work focused on whether there was a small lake (‘Loch Howburn’) in front of the terrace on which the camp was situated, and it was concluded that there was indeed a lake there, but it was neither contemporary with the Hamburgian, nor the Federmesser-Gruppen settlement. Most likely, ‘Loch Howburn’ dates to the Loch Lomond stadial.Trade Review‘This fascinating volume focuses on a Scottish settlement site that has its origins in the Late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP), inhabited at a time when the glaciers in northern Europe were in retreat. The book presents the results of a large excavation where a considerable lithic assemblage was recovered… This book is an important contribution for understanding the economics of Late Upper Palaeolithic reindeer hunters.’ – George Nash (2018): Current ArchaeologyTable of ContentsPreface ; Introduction ; Characterization of the Assemblage ; Late Upper Palaeolithic Technological Approaches ; On-site Distribution and Activity Patterns ; Dating ; The Palaeo-environmental Context of the Site ; Discussion ; Future Perspectives ; Bibliography

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Book Synopsis100,000 years ago, at least six human species inhabited the earth. Today there is just one. Us. Homo sapiens. How did our species succeed in the battle for dominance? Why did our foraging ancestors come together to create cities and kingdoms? How did we come to believe in gods, nations and human rights; to trust money, books and laws; and to be enslaved by bureaucracy, timetables and consumerism? And what will our world be like in the millennia to come? In Sapiens, Dr Yuval Noah Harari spans the whole of human history, from the very first humans to walk the earth to the radical – and sometimes devastating – breakthroughs of the Cognitive, Agricultural and Scientific Revolutions. Drawing on insights from biology, anthropology, palaeontology and economics, he explores how the currents of history have shaped our human societies, the animals and plants around us, and even our personalities. Have we become happier as history has unfolded? Can we ever free our behaviour from the heritage of our ancestors? And what, if anything, can we do to influence the course of the centuries to come? Bold, wide-ranging and provocative, Sapiens challenges everything we thought we knew about being human: our thoughts, our actions, our power ... and our future.'Here is a simple reason why Sapiens has risen explosively to the ranks of an international bestseller. It tackles the biggest questions of history and of the modern world, and it is written in unforgettably vivid language. You will love it!' - Jared DiamondTrade ReviewI would recommend Sapiens to anyone who’s interested in the history and future of our species * Bill Gates *Interesting and provocative… It gives you a sense of how briefly we’ve been on this Earth * Barack Obama *Jaw-dropping from the first word to the last… It may be the best book I’ve ever read * Chris Evans *Tackles the biggest questions of history and the modern world… Written in unforgettably vivid language * Jared Diamond *Startling... It changes the way you look at the world * Simon Mayo *

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Book Synopsis'A future classic of popular science' Mail on Sunday 'A dazzling account' Financial Times 'Absorbing, surprising and at times profound. After reading this, reality will never be quite the same' Dave Goulson Our senses are how we navigate the world: they help us recognise the expressions on a loved one's face, know whether fruit is ripe by its smell, or even sense a storm approaching through a sudden drop in air pressure. It's now believed that we may have as many as fifty-three senses - and we're just beginning to expand our knowledge of this incredibly extensive palette. Sensational is a mind-bending look at how our brains shape our experience of the world, marshalling the latest discoveries in science to explore the dazzling eyesight of the mantis shrimp, the rich inner lives of krill, and the baffling link between geomagnetic fields and canine bowel movements. Blending biology and neuroscience, Ward reveals that understanding our senses may hold the key to understanding the origins of human behaviour - from why we kiss to our varied music tastes.Trade Review[An] infectiously enthusiastic survey of the human senses ... underneath the entertainment this is a serious and thoughtful book -- James McConnachie * Sunday Times *A rollercoaster combination of science, cultural history, rumour and schoolboy humour * Guardian *Combining biological science with history, culture, sociology and personal reflections, this is a wide-ranging and highly engaging read * Observer *Enlightening and digestible ... Sensational is not only a rich mine of information, it teaches tolerance and understanding ... Listening to his book is a delight * The Times *Ward has conjured up a thrilling - and revolting - world of sensory overload in the style of a goofy lecture. Both learned and irreverent, he can be existentially disturbing and extremely funny in the same paragraph - a talent that could make this a future classic of popular science * Mail on Sunday *A dazzling account of how we use sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell to navigate the world * Financial Times *Ward is more than qualified as our tour guide into the dazzling world of senses - both our own and those of other animals ... an impressive journey -- BBC WildlifeEnjoyable popular science * Kirkus *[An] eye-opening pop-science treatise ... [Ward] packs in innumerable fascinating details ... the delivery benefits greatly from the author's stylish, evocative prose ... this will change how readers see the world * Publisher's Weekly *Absorbing, surprising and at times profound. After reading this, reality will never be quite the same -- Prof Dave Goulson, author * Silent Earth *It is nearly impossible to grasp what other animals smell, see, or feel. Ashley Ward's dive into the way we and other species interpret the surrounding world offers astonishing insights -- Frans de Waal, author * Different: Gender Through The Eyes of a Primatologist *

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Book SynopsisHumans are the dominant species on the planet. But how did we get here? Human Origins takes the reader on a fascinating 7-million-year journey from our earliest primordial ape-like roots through to the present day.For almost a hundred years, scientists have been trying to decipher the secrets of humanity’s evolution. At first, they relied on rare pieces of ancient skulls and bone fragments. But every year, they make new discoveries, uncover new fossils and develop new techniques to tease apart the story of our evolution. So far, from skeletons to teeth, humanity has found more than 6,000 hominin individuals. These individuals span several species, all of which tell the tale of human evolution: how our brains changed over time, what we ate, how we lived. Including the latest scientific findings, Human Origins will also look at some of the biggest questions that remain: What makes humans unique? Where did the Neanderthals go? And are humans still evolving?

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Book SynopsisOn his death, Arthur Boucot (1924–2017) left an unfinished manuscript in which he surveyed the skeletal, behavioural, and cultural changes that have characterized Homo from its first recognition in the Late Pliocene to the present. The subjects he treated were as varied as the preparation of food for infants, the length of intestines, hafting, plastering, use of flint and metals, the domestication of grains and animals, and the prevalence of parasitic diseases. His text repeatedly notes the difficulties imposed by the enormous gaps in both fossil and archaeological records. Boucot deduced a continuity in basic human behaviours from the Oldowan and Acheulian into modern forms, and made a point of including Neandertals and Denisovans. But he also pointed out that morphological changes in successive species of Homo do not coincide in time with major changes in lithic technologies. Boucot concluded that a quantum evolutionary gap separates hominins from the great apes: that members of our line were sapient and had been using language long before they became sapiens. In his text he also indicates his concern for changes to the environment wrought by human activities. The results of this late-life effort, edited after his death, provide a heavily referenced sourcebook for future workers in diverse fields.Table of ContentsPreface ; Introduction ; Thesis ; First Appearance of ‘New’ Behaviors or New Technologies? ; Taxonomy ; Quantum Evolution ; Data ; Summary ; Skeletal Features ; Soft-Tissue Evidence with Some Skeletal Basis ; Soft-Tissue Evidence Supported by Molecular Information ; Soft Tissue Variables with No Skeletal Evidence ; Behavioral Features ; Physiological Features ; Food Processing ; Sources of Food ; Evidence for Cultivation ; Cooking ; Gathering and Processing Fruits, Seeds, and other Edible Plant Parts ; Hunting and Fishing ; Farming ; Water Resources ; Human-Waste Disposal, Rubbish Disposal, Baths, and Drainage ; Behavioral–Technological Innovations ; Tools and Materials ; Warfare and Interpersonal Violence ; Textiles, Clothing, Basketry, Matting, Wooden Containers ; Property ; Trading and Transport of Materials ; Transportation ; Fire ; Architecture ; Measurements and Numbers ; Scales, Balances, Weights ; Religion ; Care of the Handicapped ; Communication ; Art ; Conclusions ; Bibliography

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Book Synopsis

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