Description
Book SynopsisSetting Foundations.- Afro-Eurasian mammalian fauna and early hominin dispersals.- Resource-rich, stone-poor: Early hominin land use in large river systems of northern India and Pakistan.- Toward developing a basin model for Paleolithic settlement of the Indian subcontinent: Geodynamics, monsoon dynamics, habitat diversity and dispersal routes.- The Acheulean of peninsular India with special reference to the Hungsi and Baichbal valleys of the lower Deccan.- Changing trends in the study of a Paleolithic site in India: A century of research at Attirampakkam.- Was Homo heidelbergensis in South Asia? A test using the Narmada fossil from central India.- The Modern Scene.- The Toba supervolcanic eruption: Tephra-fall deposits in India and paleoanthropological implications.- The emergence of modern human behavior in South Asia: A review of the current evidence and discussion of its possible implications.- Genetic evidence on modern human dispersals in South Asia: Y chromosome and mitochondria
Trade ReviewFrom the reviews:
"The volume is divided into four sections following a Preface, a List of Contributors, and a stunning introductory essay by the editors … . congratulations to Drs. Petraglia and Allchin for organizing a successful conference and serving as generous hosts to its participants. I intend to use this volume in a seminar I offer to undergraduate and graduate students at my university, ‘Paleoanthropology of South Asia.’ What a pleasure it will be to introduce this remarkable volume to them and to my colleagues." Kenneth A. R. Kennedy, Journal of Mammalian Evolution, Issue 15, 2008
"It is unusually good, informative and cohesive for a conference proceedings. Given the exhaustive references and sound conclusions of the many high quality chapters, this book rightfully shall become indispensable to the small, hardy band of specialists in the biohistory of South Asia." Robert S. Corruccini, International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, Vol. 18, 2008
“The most important contribution this volume makes is that the South Asian paleoanthropological and cultural evidence is highlighted through a relatively new and well-known international publishing series. It also introduces diverse lines of research to be pursued and will hopefully encourage and stimulate new methodological approaches and fresh interpretations of human evolutionary scenarios in a unique region of Asia.” Parth R. Chauhan, PaleoAnthropology 2010
Table of Contents1. Human Evolution and Culture Change in the Indian Subcontinent Michael D. Petraglia and Bridget Allchin Part I. Setting Foundations 2. Afro-Eurasian Mammalian Fauna and Early Hominin Dispersals Alan Turner and Hannah J. O’Regan 3. 'Resource-Rich, Stone Poor': Early Hominin Land Use in Large River Systems of Northern India and Pakistan Robin Dennell 4. Toward Developing a Basin Model for Paleolithic Settlement of the Indian Subcontinent: Geodynamics, Monsoon Dynamics, Habitat Diversity and Dispersal Routes. Ravi Korisettar 5. The Acheulean of Peninsular India with Special Reference to the Hunsgi and Baichbal Valleys of the Lower Deccan K. Paddayya 6. Changing Trends in the Study of a Paleolithic Site in India: A Century of Research at Attirampakkam Shanti Pappu 7. Was Homo heidelbergensis in South Asia? A test using the Narmada fossil from Central India Sheela Athreya Part II. The Modern Scene 8. The Toba Supervolcanic Eruption: Tephra-Fall Deposits in India and Paleoanthropological Implications Sacha C. Jones 9. The Emergence of Modern Human Behavior in South Asia: A Review of the Current Evidence and Discussion of its Possible Implications Hannah V.A. James 10. Genetic evidence on modern human dispersals in South Asia: Y Chromosome and Mitochondrial DNA perspectives: The World through the eyes of two haploid genome. Phillip Endicott, Mait Metspalu and Toomas Kivisild 11. Crania diversity in South Asia relative to modern human dispersals and global patterns of human variation Jay T. Stock, Marta Mirazón Lahr and Samanti Kulatilake Part III. New Worlds in the Holocene 12. Interpreting Biological Diversity in South Asian Prehistory: Early Holocene Population Affinities and Subsistence Adaptations John R. Lukacs 13. Population Movements in the Indian Subcontinent during the Protohistoric Period: Physical Anthropological Assessment S.R. Walimbe 14. Foragers and Forager-Traders in South Asian Worlds: Some Thoughts from the Last 10,000 Years Kathleen D. Morrison 15. Anthropological, Historical, Archaeological and Genetic Perspectives on the Origins of Caste in South Asia Nicole L. Boivin 16. Language Families and Quantitative Methods in South Asia and Elsewhere April McMahon and Robert McMahon 17. Duality in Bos indicus mtDNA Diversity: Support for Geographical Complexity in Zebu Domestication David A. Magee, Hideyuki Mannen, Daniel G. Bradley 18. Non-Human Genetics, Agricultural Origins and Historical Linguistics in South Asia Dorian Q. Fuller Part IV. Concluding Remarks 19. Thoughts on The Evolution and History of Human Populations in South Asia Gregory L. Possehl
