Ancestral Passions: The Leakey Family and the Quest for Humankind's Beginnings
Morell, Virginia . Touchstone Books (1995)
Science writer Virginia Morell explores the lives of the different members of the Leakey Family and their often controversial ideas about human evolution. How a small clan of highly talented people came to dominate the field of paleoanthropology and contribute immeasurably to our understanding of human origins.
Leakey's Luck: The Life of Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey, 1903-1972
Cole, Sonia. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (1975)
Out of Print
Disclosing the Past: An Autobiography
Leakey, Mary. Doubleday & Co., Inc. (1984)
Out of Print
One Life: An Autobiography
Leakey, Richard E.. Salem House (1983)
Out of Print
Richard Leakey learns from his parents, Louis and Mary, about prehistoric Africa and relates how he finally became involved in the study of human antiquity.
The Leakey Family: Leaders in the Search for Human Origins
Willis, Delta. Facts on File, Inc. (1992)
The Neanderthal's Necklace: In Search of the First Thinkers
Arsuaga, Juan Luis. Four Walls Eight Windows (2002)
How did the Neanderthals live? Why did they suddenly disappear? The paleoanthropologist co-directing the largest Neanderthal dig in the world, at the Sierra de Atapuerca in Spain, portrays a world long ago . . . The Neanderthals, members of a parallel human race that evolved in Europe over hundreds of thousands of years, provide a surprising mirror on modern-day humanity. Neanderthals were human not only in the sense that they belonged to our evolutionary group, but also in the most fundamental one -- they lived much as the Cro-Magnons -- our ancestors -- did, worshipping, socializing, and hunting. The struggle between Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons lasted thousands of years. The Cro-Magnons, unlike the Neanderthals, were not biologically fit for extreme cold weather, but their ingenuity allowed them to settle down, band together and survive. In this tale of life and death and the awakening of human awareness, Juan Luis Arsuaga depicts the dramatic struggle between two clashing species.
Colbert's Evolution of the Vertebrates: A History of the Backboned Animals through Time, 5th Edition Colbert, Edwin H., Michael Morales, and Eli C. Minkoff. Wiley-Liss (2001)
A textbook for general students and lay readers on vertebrate paleontology, providing an account of the evolution of backboned animals as based on the fossil record. It offers no discussion of the principles or mechanisms of evolution, but primarily surveys the fossil record over the past 500 million years or so.--Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Blueprints: Solving the Mystery of Evolution
Edey, Maitland A. & Donald C. Johanson. Little Brown (1990)
The authors of the international bestseller, Lucy: The Beginnings Of Humankind trace the evolution of the theory of evolution itself in this fascinating, eminently readable book.
The Primate Fossil Record
Hartwig, Walter. Cambridge University Press (2002)
The Primate Fossil Record is a profusely illustrated, up-to-date, and comprehensive treatment of primate paleontology that captures the complete history of the discovery and interpretation of primate fossils. Each chapter emphasizes three key components of the record of primate evolution: history of discovery, taxonomy of the fossils, and evolution of the adaptive radiations they represent. The volume objectively summarizes the many intellectual debates surrounding the fossil record and provides a foundation of reference information on the last two decades of astounding discoveries and worldwide field research for physical anthropologists, paleontologists, and evolutionary biologists.
From Lucy to Language
Johanson, Donald C. et al.. Simon & Schuster (1996)
From Lucy to Language is a stunning documentary of human life through time on Earth. It is a combination of the vital experience of field work and the intellectual rigor of primary research. This is one of the greatest stories ever told, bracketing the timeline between bipedalism and human language.
Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind
Johanson, Donald C. & Maitland Edey. Touchstone Books (1990)
The background to the story of the discovery of "Lucy" by the Institute of Human Origin's team led by Donald Johanson. The personalities of different paleoanthropologists and the role they played in the writing of a new chapter of human history with the announcement of a new hominid species, Australopithecus afarensis.
The Molecule Hunt: Archaeology and the Search for Ancient DNA
Jones, Martin. Arcade Publishing (2002)
A revolution is underway in archaeology. Working at the cutting edge of genetic and molecular technologies, researchers have been probing the building blocks of ancient life--DNA, proteins, fats--to rewrite our understanding of the past. Their discoveries (including a Mitochondrial Eve, the woman from whom all modern humans descend) and analyses have helped revise the human genealogical tree and answer such questions as: How different are we from the Neanderthals? Who first domesticated horses and ancient grasses? What was life like for our ancestors? Here is science at its most engaging.
By the Evidence: Memoirs, 1932-1951
Leakey, L.S.B.. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (1974)
Out of Print
Louis Leakey's last book, involving primarily his and Mary's early work at Olduvai Gorge before the discoveries of Zinjanthropus and Homo habilis, their discoveries of stone tools and the scientific progress they made in pushing back human history further in the past.
Olduvai Gorge: My Search for Early Man
Leakey, Mary.
Out of Print
Origins Reconsidered
Leakey, Richard E & Roger Lewin. Doubleday (1992)
Research in the Lake Turkana region now focuses on the western shores of Lake Turkana where more spectacular human fossils are revealed, such as the "Turkana Boy" and the "Black Skull." Questions involving the origin of modern humans and the search for the modern mind are also addressed.
People of the Lake: Mankind and its Beginnings
Leakey, Richard & Roger Lewin. Anchor Press/Doubleday (1978)
Out of print
Human Evolution: An Illustrated Introduction [4th Edition]
Lewin, Roger. Blackwell Science Inc. (1999)
This work discusses "topics relative to human origins and evolution {from the fields} . . . of evolutionary biology, geology, physical and cultural anthropology, molecular biology, and archaeology. The text begins with the origin of earth and a discussion of evolutionary theory, then moves to the origin and evolution of primates, hominids and humans, tools, campsites, language, art, intelligence, agriculture, and culture."
Bones of Contention: Controversies in the Search for Human Origins [2nd Edition]
Lewin, Roger. Simon & Schuster (1997)
The Evolution of Homo Erectus: Comparative Anatomical Studies of an Extinct Human Species
Rightmire, Philip G.. Cambridge University Press (1993)
The first discoveries of Homo erectus were made in Java late in the 19th century. Since then, many fossils have come to light in Africa as well as Asia. Homo erectus seems to have evolved in Africa before spreading to other regions of the Old World. This occurred over a long period of time, during which the populations changed relatively little. Only towards the close of the middle Pleistocene are there signs of change in evolutionary tempo leading to the appearance of more advanced humans. This book provides a wealth of information about the individual crania, jaws, and postcranial remains, and will serve as an important guide to the anatomy of Homo erectus.
Making Silent Stones Speak: Human Evolution and the Dawn of Technology
Schick, Kathy D. & Nicholas Toth. Simon & Schuster (1993)
Two anthropologists explain how they learned to make and use Stone Age tools and how their research opens up startling new theories about the key role of toolmaking in human evolution.
What the Bones Tell Us
Schwartz, Jeffrey H.. University of Arizona Press (1998)
African Exodus: The Origins of Modern Humanity
Stringer, Christopher & Robin McKie. Henry Holt Co. (1998)
Becoming Human: Evolution and Human Uniqueness
Tattersall, Ian. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (1999)
One of the world's renowned experts on fossil humans looks for the discontinuities in human evolution--at what makes us different from other species, at what is uniquely human--discussing the meaning of our existence on this planet and our relationship to the living world.
The Fossil Trail: How We Know What We Think We Know About Human Evolution
Tattersall, Ian. Oxford Univ. Press (1995)
Extinct Humans Tattersall, Ian & Jeffrey H. Schwartz. Westview (2000)
These authors offer a radical reinterpretation of human history in their attempt to demonstrate that there have been multiple co-existing human species throughout human history, even as recently as 25,000 years ago. The fossil record is a story of great variation, and repeated speciation and extinction, played out over the millions of years of evolution.
Wisdom of the Bones: In Search of Human Origins
Walker, Alan & Pat Shipman. Vintage Books (1997)
The Hominid Gang: Behind the Scenes in the Search for Human Origins Willis, Delta.
Out of Print
Writer Delta Willis follows scientists in the field and chronicles debates behind the scenes in the discovery of hominid fossils. She uncovers who really makes most of the discoveries, a dedicated group of Kenyans adept at finding fossils she calls the "Hominid Gang."
How Monkeys See the World: Inside the Mind of Another Species
Cheney, Dorothy L. and Robert M. Seyfarth. University of Chicago Press (1992)
An exploration of communication and intelligence in free-ranging primates. Much of the text is devoted to the authors' field studies on velvet monkeys in East Africa. Theories of modern cognitive science are applied in order to discover the similarity and differences between the cognition of monkeys and humans. Some topics discussed are: social behavior, vocal communication, deception, and attribution.
The Ape and the Sushi Master: Cultural Reflections of a Primatologist
De Waal, Frans. Basic Books (2001)
Arguing that apes have created their own distinctive culture, eminent primatologist Frans de Waal challenges our most basic assumptions about who we are and how we differ from other animals. What if apes had their own culture rather than an imposed human version? What if they reacted to situations with behavior learned through observation of their elders (culture) rather than with pure genetically coded instinct (nature)? In answering these questions, eminent primatologist Frans de Waal corrects our arrogant assumption that humans are the only creatures to have made the leap from the natural to the cultural domain.
Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape
De Waal, Frans and Frans Lanting. Univ. of California Press (1997)
A beautifully illustrated book about the bonobos, or so-called pygmy chimpanzee, found only in the dense rain forests of central Zaire. This book details what we know about the social life of these African apes and compares their often unique behavior patterns to their better known cousins, the common chimpanzee.
Gorillas in the Mist Fossey, Dian. Houghton Mifflin Co. (1988)
The late Dr. Dian Fossey combines her riveting personal adventure story with fascinating scientific reporting in this landmark book about her 15-year study of the rare mountain gorillas who inhabit the volcanic Virunga mountains of Central Africa. Fossey argues that if the mountain gorillas are to survive and propagate, far more active conservation needs to be undertaken.
Primates Face to Face: The Conservation Implications of Human-nonhuman Primate Interconnections
Fuentes, Augustin and Linda Wolfe, eds. Cambridge University Press (2002)
As our closest evolutionary relatives, nonhuman primates are integral elements in our mythologies, diets, and scientific paradigms, yet most species no face an uncertain future through exploitation for the pet and bushmeat trades as well as progressive habitat loss. By examining the diverse and fascinating range of relationships between humans and other primates, and how this plays a critical role in conservation practice and programs, Primates Face to Face disseminates the information gained from the anthropological study of nonhuman primates to the wider academic and non-academic world.
Reflections of Eden: My Years with the Orangutans Of Borneo Galdikas, Birute M.F.. Back Bay Books (1996)
An author who lived among the primates of Borneo for more than two decades takes readers to her base camp and the surrounding rain forest where she introduces them not only to her orangutan friends, but to her own struggles as a scientist and conservationist.
African Apes (All Apes Great and Small, Volume 1) Galdikas, Birute M.F., Nancy Erickson, Lori K. Sheeran, Gary L. Shapiro, and Jane Goodall, eds. Plenum Publishing Corp (2002)
Galdikas, president of the Orangutan Foundation International in Los Angeles, Jane Goodall, and other renowned researchers in the field present 21 contributions by primatologists, ethologists, and anthropologists organized by six themes: evolution issues, chimpanzees, gorillas, comparative physiological bases for behavior and aging, and African apes at risk (e.g., by the bushmeat trade). The final selection by scholars from Princeton University's Center for Human Values provocatively asks: who is a person? This first in a two-volume set includes photos, data tables, and graphs. Many of these papers were presented at the Third International Great Apes of the World Conference (1998). Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
In the Shadow of Man [Revised] Goodall, Jane and David Hamburg. Houghton Mifflin Co. (2000)
A classic of primate research about the astonishing discoveries of previously unknown behaviors, such as the use and manufacture of tools by chimpanzees. A compelling adventure story of a determined young woman who ultimately succeeded in studying these closely related human cousins for over 40 years at the Gombe Stream Reserve in Tanzania.
Wild Minds: What Animals Really Think Hauser, Marc D. Owl Books (2001)
Do animals think? Can they count? Do they have emotions? Do they feel anger, frustration, hurt, or sorrow? At last, here is a book that provides authoritative answers to these long-standing questions. Most popular science books tend to misrepresent animals, presenting them either as furry little humans or as creatures that cannot feel at all. Marc D. Hauser, an acclaimed scientist in the field of animal cognition, uses insights from evolutionary theory and cognitive science to examine animal thought without such biases or preconceptions. Hauser treats animals neither as machines devoid of feeling nor as extensions of humans, but as independent beings driven by their own complex impulses.
Comparative Primate Socioecology
Lee, P.C., ed.. Cambridge University Press (2001)
Comparative studies have become both more frequent and more important as a means for understanding the biology, behavior, and evolution of mammals. Primates have complex social relationships and diverse ecologies, and represent a large species radiation. This book draws together a wide range of experts from fields as diverse as reproductive biology and foraging energetics to place recent field research into a synthetic perspective.
Walking with the Great Apes: Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, Birute Galdikas Montgomery, Sy. Houghton Mifflin Co. (1992)
Here is the story of three gifted women trained by the famed Louis Leakey. This book, "a sensitive and revealing contribution to the legend of a unique sisterhood" (Chicago Tribune), tells of three women who each gave her mature life to the love, study, and defense of another primate species.
Primate Behaviour: Information, Social Knowledge, and the Evolution of Culture
Quiatt, Duane and Vernon Reynolds. Cambridge University Press (1995)
This book is about the social life of monkeys, apes, and humans. Its central theme is the importance of social information and knowledge to a full understanding of primate social behavior and organization. Using this perspective, the authors seek to demonstrate a continuity between human and non-human society that is not recognized elsewhere in the literature.
Primates in Nature Richard, Alison F.. W.H. Freeman & Co. (1985)
Primates In Nature, an integrated overview of primate behavioral ecology, analyzes such vital aspects of primate behavior as biogeography, reproduction, dietary patterns and variation, characteristics of primate population, social organization, and primate interaction with the environment, as well as with other organisms.
A Primate's Memoir
Sapolsky, Robert M.. Scribner & Sons (2001)
An exhilarating account of Sapolsky's twenty-one-year study of a troop of rambunctious baboons in Kenya, A Primate's Memoir interweaves serious scientific observations with wry commentary about the challenges and pleasures of living in the wilds of the Serengeti -- for man and beast alike. Over two decades, Sapolsky survives culinary atrocities, gunpoint encounters, and a surreal kidnapping, while witnessing the encroachment of the tourist mentality on the farthest vestiges of unspoiled Africa. As he conducts unprecedented physiological research on wild primates, he becomes evermore enamored of his subjects -- unique and compelling characters in their own right -- and he returns to them summer after summer, until tragedy finally prevents him.
Apes, Language, and the Human Mind
Savage-Rumbaugh, E. Sue et al.. Oxford Univ. Press (1998)
For more than 25 years, Sue Savage-Rumbaugh has been studying the cognitive skills of laboratory-reared primates. Recently, her work achieved a scientific breakthrough of stunning proportions: one subject has acquired linguistic and cognitive skills equal to those of a 2-1/2-year-old human child. Apes, Language and the Human Mind skillfully combines the exciting narrative regarding this work with incisive critical analysis of the broader linguistic, psychological, and anthropological implications. Sure to be controversial, this exciting new volume offers a radical revision of the sciences of language and mind.
The Hunting Apes: Meat Eating and the Origins of Human Behavior
Stanford, Craig B.. Princeton Univ. Press (1999)
What makes humans unique? What makes us the most successful animal species inhabiting the Earth today? Most scientists agree that the key to our success is the unusually large size of our brains. Our large brains gave us our exceptional thinking capacity and led to humans' other distinctive characteristics, including advanced communication, tool use, and walking on two legs. Or was it the other way around? Did the challenges faced by early humans push the species toward communication, tool use, and walking and, in doing so, drive the evolutionary engine toward a large brain? In this provocative new book, Craig Stanford presents an intriguing alternative to this puzzling question--an alternative grounded in recent, groundbreaking scientific observation. According to Stanford, what made humans unique was meat. Or, rather, the desire for meat, the eating of meat, the hunting of meat, and the sharing of meat.
Almost Human: A Journey Into the World of Baboons
Strum, Shirley C. and George B. Schaller. University of Chicago Press (2001)
In 1972, a young graduate student named Shirley Strum traveled to Kenya to study a troop of olive baboons (Papio anubis) nicknamed the Pumphouse Gang. Like our own ancestors, baboons had adapted to life on the African savannah, and Strum hoped that by observing baboon behavior, she could learn something about how early humans might have lived. Soon the baboons had won her heart as well as her mind, and Strum has been working with them ever since. Vividly written and filled with fascinating insights, Almost Human chronicles the first fifteen years of Strum's fieldwork with the Pumphouse Gang.
Primate Encounters: Models of Science, Gender, and Society
Strum, Shirley C. and Linda Marie Fedigan, eds. Univ. of Chicago Press (2000)
A provocative collective reflection on primatology and its relations to broader cultural, historical, and social issues, Primate Encounters brings together both scientists and those who study them to investigate precisely what kind of science primatology is.
Introduction to the Primates
Swindler, Daris Ray. University of Washington Press (1998)
A comprehensive yet compact guide to the long evolutionary history of the world's prosimians, monkeys, and apes, and the much shorter history of humankind's interactions with them, from our earliest recorded observations to the threats we now pose to their survival. Describes the major primate groups and their environments, compares the species anatomically, and considers primate behavior and its close connection with environment and evolutionary differences. Includes b&w photos and drawings. For students of primatology. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Infanticide by Males and its Implications
van Schaik, Carel and Charles H. Janson, eds. Cambridge University Press (2000)
Infanticide by males is relatively common in primates, carnivores, and rodents, although it tends to be rare even in species in which it occurs. Is this behavior pathological or accidental, or does it reflect a conditional reproductive strategy for males in certain circumstances? In this book, case studies and reviews confirm the adaptive nature of infanticide by males in primates, and help to predict which species should be vulnerable to this phenomenon. Much of the book is devoted to exploring the evolutionary consequences of the threat of infanticide by males for social and reproductive behavior and physiology. This work shows that social systems are shaped by ecological pressures, as well as social pressures such as infanticide risk.
Among Orangutans: Red Apes and The Rise of Human Culture
van Schaik, Carel with photos by Perry van Duijnhoven. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (2004)
Carel van Schaik is one of the world's leading experts in the field of orangutan behavior. This beautifully illustrated edition discusses almost two decades of van Schaik's work with the orangutans of Sumatra, partially funded by the Leakey Foundation In a narrative that is part adventure yarn, part field journal, part call to conscience, van Schaik introduces the reader to the colorful characters and complex lives of the orangutans who inhabit the vanishing forests of Sumatra. This book describes in vivid detail all of the stages in orangutan life that, while fascinating to observe, may also help us to reconstruct human evolution. A must read for those fascinated by the intricacies of animal behavior.
Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence
Wrangham, Richard and Dale Peterson. Mariner Books (1997)
Whatever their virtues, men are more violent than women. Why do men kill, rape, and wage war? Drawing on new evidence from paleoanthropology and discoveries about our closest living relatives, the great apes, this book offers startling and controversial answers to these questions.
Chimpanzee Cultures
Wrangham, Richard W., W.C. McGrew, Frans de Waal, and Paul G. Heltne, eds.. Harvard University Press (1996)
Authorities on chimpanzees and bonobos compare the animals' behaviors from one study site to the next, in captive and wild groups, and demonstrate that nature and culture play important roles in the behavior of the Pan species. Sections on ecology, social relations, and cognition discuss hunting strategies, medicinal plant use by chimpanzees in the wild, chimpanzee vocal behavior, individual differences in cognitive abilities, and the question of chimpanzee culture. Includes a foreword by Jane Goodall, plus b&w photos and drawings. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, OR.
Wildlife Wars : My Fight to Save Africa's Natural Treasures
Leakey, Richard and Virginia Morell (Contributor) . St. Martin's Press (2001)
More than a memoir, this heartfelt work is a focused account of the famed paleoanthropologist's struggle to protect African wildlife (from Library Journal).
Born Free--40th Anniversary Edition
Adamson, Joy. Schocken Books (2000)
Joy Adamson's story of a lion cub in transition between the captivity in which she is raised and the fearsome wild to which she is returned captures the abilities of both humans and animals to cross the seemingly unbridgeable gap between their radically different worlds. Especially now, at a time when the sanctity of the wild and its inhabitants is increasingly threatened by human development and natural disaster, Adamson's remarkable tale is an idyll, and a model, to return to again and again.
The End of the Game
Beard, Peter. Chronicle Books (2000)
Originally published in 1965, and available once again in paperback, this landmark work dramatically documents the changing history of African wildlife, focusing on the widespread destruction of the African elephant. Beautifully illustrated with over 300 contemporary and historical photographs as well as dozens of paintings, The End of the Game is a legendary work-vividly telling the story of explorers, missionaries, and big-game hunters whose quests have changed the face of Africa forever.
Safari: A Chronicle of Adventure
Bull, Bartle. Penguin (1992)
In fascinating and often amusing detail, Bull depicts both the hardships and the incongruous luxury of the classic safaris of the early 20th century and presents the legend of the great white hunter as seen by H. Rider Haggard, Hemingway, and Hollywood.
African Rock Art: Paintings and Engravings on Stone
Coulson, David and Alec Campbell. Harry N Abrams (2001)
Covering the entire continent, this magnificently illustrated book contains more than 200 full-color photographs of Africa's rock art, together with historical and interpretive analysis. Coulson and former museum director Alec Campbell scoured the remotest areas of Africa in their efforts to raise public awareness of the variety, importance, and frailty of these extraordinary works, many of which are endangered by erosion, theft, and vandalism.
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Diamond, Jared. W.W. Norton & Co. (1999)
In this "artful, informative, and delightful" (William H. McNeill, New York Review of Books) book, Jared Diamond convincingly argues that geographical and environmental factors shaped the modern world. Societies that had had a head start in food production advanced beyond the hunter-gatherer stage, and then developed religion--as well as nasty germs and potent weapons of war--and adventured on sea and land to conquer and decimate preliterate cultures. A major advance in our understanding of human societies, Guns, Germs, and Steel chronicles the way that the modern world came to be and stunningly dismantles racially based theories of human history. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, the Rhone-Poulenc Prize, and the Commonwealth club of California's Gold Medal.
Out of Africa
Dinesen, Isak. Modern Library (1992)
In this book, the author of Seven Gothic Tales gives a true account of her life on her plantation in Kenya. She tells with classic simplicity of the ways of the country and the natives: of the beauty of the Ngong Hills and coffee trees in blossom: of her guests, from the Prince of Wales to Knudsen, the old charcoal burner, who visited her: of primitive festivals: of big game that were her near neighbors--lions, rhinos, elephants, zebras, buffaloes--and of Lulu, the little gazelle who came to live with her, unbelievably ladylike and beautiful.
Battle for the Elephants
Douglas-Hamilton, Iain and Oria Douglas-Hamilton. Viking Press (1992)
An understandably partisan account by the Douglas-Hamiltons (Among the Elephants, 1975) of how they fought to get ivory banned worldwide. Recalling their first visits to Manyara Park in Tanzania in the late 1960's, when the problem seemed more a surfeit of elephants, the husband-and-wife authors relate how, 20 years later, elephants were being killed by the thousands to satisfy the burgeoning market for ivory in the Far East. Copyright 1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Africa Adorned
Fisher, Angela. H.N. Abrams (1984)
First fascinated by its pure beauty, Angela Fisher has examined African adornment for over seven years, initially as a traveler and then increasingly as a close student of jewelry and body decoration. Traveling from the Sahara to Cape Horn, she has lived among peoples of diverse culture, studying and photographing not only what they wear but what meaning the objects and decorative forms have in their daily lives. For example: among the Zulu of Southern Africa young girls make and send beaded tabs for necklaces to their young men: white beads signify purity of love; black suggest that darkness prevents the lovers from meeting; beads of royal blue symbolize rejection. A Lobi woman of the Ivory Coast wears a lip plug to prevent evil spirits from entering her mouth. Among the desert Berbers silver is considered "the pure metal blessed by the Prophet" whereas gold has links with the devil. These stories and more, illustrated with exquisite photographs - over 400 of them in full color - prov
The Green Hills of Africa
Hemingway, Ernest. Touchstone Books (1996)
His second major venture into nonfiction (after Death in the Afternoon, 1932), Green Hills of Africa is Ernest Hemingway's lyrical journal of a month on safari in the great game country of East Africa, where he and his wife Pauline journeyed in December of 1933. Hemingway's well-known interest in--and fascination with--big-game hunting is magnificently captured in this evocative account of his trip. In examining the poetic grace of the chase, and the ferocity of the kill, Hemingway also looks inward, seeking to explain the lure of the hunt and the primal undercurrent that comes alive on the plains of Africa. Yet Green Hills of Africa is also an impassioned portrait of the glory of the African landscape, and of the beauty of a wilderness that was, even then, being threatened by the incursions of man.
The Flame Trees of Thika
Huxley, Elspeth. Penguin (2000)
New edition of Elspeth Huxley's stirring account of her childhood in Kenya and her novel of the destructive forces of colonization. In an open cart Elspeth Huxley set off with her parents to travel to Thika in Kenya. As pioneering settlers, they built a house of grass, ate off a damask cloth spread over packing cases, and discovered--the hard way--the world of the African. With an extraordinary gift for detail and a keen sense of humor, Huxley recalls her childhood on the small farm at a time when Europeans waged their fortunes on a land that was as harsh as it was beautiful. For a young girl, it was a time of adventure and freedom, and Huxley paints an unforgettable portrait of growing up among the Masai and Kikuyu people, discovering both the beauty and the terrors of the jungle, and enduring the rugged realities of the pioneer life.
The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals
Kingdon, Jonathon. Academic Press (1997)
Jonathan Kingdon, one of the foremost authorities on African mammals, has written and illustrated this new field guide which sets new standards in African mammalogy. The author covers all the known species of African land mammal in a concise text providing full information on identification, distribution, ecology, evolutionary relationships, and conservation status. The focus is always on the mammals as seen in the field and on their ecology and evolutionary interrelationships. Introductory profiles summarize the characteristics of the various mammal groups, and the author simplifies many of the more complex groups of mammals by referencing genera.
The Tree Where Man Was Born
Matthieson, Peter. Penguin Nature Classics (1995)
In this classic volume, Matthiessen exquisitely combines both nature and travel writing to bring East Africa to vivid life. He skillfully portrays the daily lives of herdsmen and hunter-gatherers; the drama of the predator kills; the hundreds of exotic animals; the breathtaking landscapes; and the area's turbulent natural, political, and social histories.
African Exodus, the Origins of Modern Humanity
McKie, Robin and Christopher Stringer. Henry Holt (1998)
Once in a generation a book such as African Exodus emerges to transform the way we see ourselves. This landmark book, which argues that our genes betray the secret of a single racial stock shared by all of modern humanity, has set off one of the most bitter debates in contemporary science.
The Turkana: Kenya's Nomads of the Jade Sea
Pavitt, Nigel. Harry N. Abrams (1997)
After traveling and living among the Turkana of northwestern Kenya over the course of more than 40 years, Nigel Pavitt now presents a book which describes and pictures their daily battle to keep their traditional ways alive.
Uhuru
Ruark, Robert. Buccaneer Books (1996)
Maasai
Saitoti, Tepilit Ole and Carol Beckwith. Abradale Press (1990)
The author recounts ancient Maasai legends and songs, and powerfully describes the vivid ceremonies that mark the passages in Maasai life....Everyday tribal life and the ceremonial high points are photographed with a clarity and eye for drama that make Maasai a breathtaking experience.
Journey Through the Ice Age
Bahn, Paul and Jean Vertut. University of California Press (1997)
Some of the oldest art in the world is the subject of this riveting and beautiful book. Paul Bahn and Jean Vertut explore carved objects and wall art discoveries from the Ice Age, covering the period from 300,000 B.C. to 40,000 B.C., and their collaboration marks a signal event for archaeologists and lay readers alike.
Charles Darwin: The Power of Place
Browne, Janet. Knopf (2002)
The second half of a portrait of Darwin and the Victorian habitat that enabled his work but paradoxically rejected its content, though honoring him as Britain's greatest scientist.
The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating
Buss, David M. Basic Books (1995)
In the spirit of E. O. Wilson (Sociobiology) and Richard Dawkins (The Selfish Gene), this book proves that in attracting, keeping, or discarding our mates, we are closer to our ancestral forebears than many of us think.
A Brain for All Seasons: Human Evolution and Abrupt Climate Change
Calvin, William H . University of Chicago Press (2002)
Calvin connects us directly to evolution and the surprises it holds. Highly illustrated, conversational, and learned, A Brain for All Seasons is a fascinating view of where we came from, and where we're going.
A View to a Death in the Morning: Hunting and Nature Through History
Cartmill, Matt. Harvard Univ. Press (1996)
This study of cultural history examines the widespread myth of "Man the Hunter" throughout history, from Artemis and the story of Bambi to the meanings of the hunting hypothesis during recent times.
Genes, Peoples and Languages
Cavalli-Sforza, Luigi Luca. North Point Press (2000)
Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza was among the first to ask whether the genes of modern populations contain a historical record of the human species. Cavalli-Sforza and others have answered this question-anticipated by Darwin-with a decisive yes. Genes, Peoples, and Languages comprises five lectures that serve as a summation of the author's work over several decades, the goal of which has been nothing less than tracking the past 100,000 years of human evolution.
Dawn of Art : The Chauvet Cave: The Oldest Known Paintings in the World
Chauvet, Jean-Marie, Eliette Brunel Deschamps, and Christian Hillaire. Harry N. Abrams (1996)
The 1990s have witnessed a sort of renaissance in cave art, thanks to new discoveries from the south of France. Previously, the oldest examples of human art were thought to have been painted 15,000 years ago. When these three spelunkers-turned-authors happened upon the Chauvet cave (named after one of them), however, they visited an underground art gallery that had been closed for 30,000 years. It's still inaccessible today, except to specialists. But this wonderful book of pictures and text allows virtual tourists to appreciate the creations of our remotest ancestors. This may be primitive art in the literal sense of the term, but it's remarkably sophisticated (from Amazon.com).
World Rock Art
Clottes, Jean. Getty Trust Publications (2002)
Although cave paintings from the European Ice Age have has gained considerable renown, for many people the term "rock art" remains full of mystery. Yet it refers to perhaps the oldest form of artistic endeavor, splendid examples of which exist on all continents and from all eras. Rock art stretches in time from about forty thousand to less than forty years ago and can be found from the Arctic Circle to the tip of South America, from the caves of southern France to the American Southwest. It includes animal and human figures, complex geometrical forms, and myriad mysterious markings. Illustrated in color throughout, this book provides an engaging overview of rock art worldwide. An introductory chapter discusses the discovery of rock art by the West and the importance of landscape and ritual. Subsequent chapters survey rock art sites throughout the world, explaining how the art can be dated and how it was made. The book then explores the meaning of these often enigmatic images.
The Shamans of Prehistory: Trance and Magic in the Painted Caves
Clottes, Jean, David Lewis-Williams, and Sophie Hawkes. Harry N. Abrams (1998)
The most obvious question about cave art is why is it there, and Clottes, a prehistoric rock art expert associated with the French ministry of culture, and Lewis-Williams, a South African professor of cognitive archaeology, propose an elegant answer in this beautifully illustrated volume. They begin by documenting the universality of certain cave art images, then suggest that these paintings are shamanic in nature. They make their case in a fresh and lucid discussion of the methods shamans use to achieve altered states of consciousness in order to get in touch with the spiritual realm, then, shifting to a neuropsychological perspective, characterize the types of hallucinations experienced at the three main stages of trance: geometric shapes, objects of religious or emotional significance, and visions of animals, monsters, and people. Donna Seaman
The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal [Revised]
Diamond, Jared. Harper Perennial Library (1993)
Though we share 98 percent of our genes with the chimpanzee, our species evolved into something quite extraordinary. Jared Diamond explores the fascinating question of what in less than 2 percent of our genes has enabled us to found civilizations and religions, develop intricate languages, create art, learn science--and acquire the capacity to destroy all our achievements overnight. The Third Chimpanzee is a tour de force, an iconoclastic, entertaining, sometimes alarming look at the unique and marvelous creature that is the human animal.
A Natural History of Sex: The Ecology and Evolution of Mating Behavior
Forsyth, Adrian. Firefly Books (2001)
Described by the author as a book "about the weird diversity of sexual behavior," A Natural History of Sex explores "how to look at life, how to analyze and speculate about why something is as it is and not otherwise." In a series of engaging essays, Forsyth considers a host of more specific questions, which run the gamut from the obscure and the bizarre to the familiar. Forsyth's highly observational mind ranges over the natural world, revealing the seemingly random patterns and consequences of animal sexual behavior. This classic reference is a must for anyone who has ever wondered just what it is that makes the world go round.
Biology, Evolution, and Human Nature
Goldsmith, Timothy H. and William F. Zimmerman. John Wiley & Sons (2000)
This book uses evolution as the unifying theme to trace the connections between levels of biological complexity from genes through nervous systems, animal societies, and human cultures. It examines the history of evolutionary theory from Darwin to the present, including: the impact of molecular biology and the emergence of evolutionary social theory.
Performance and Evolution in the Age of Darwin: Out of the Natural Order
Goodall, Jane. Routledge (2002)
With this book, Goodall contributes an important new angle to the debates surrounding the history of evolution. She reveals that, far from creating widespread culture shock, Darwinian theory tapped into some of the long-standing themes of popular performance and was a source for diverse and sometimes hilarious explorations.
Ever Since Darwin: Reflections in Natural History
Gould, Stephen Jay. W.W. Norton & Co., Inc. (1992)
Reissued in a larger format, this popular anthology offers an introduction to the wonders and depths of evolutionary biology. "A remarkable achievement by any measure . . . One is hard pressed to single out past writers who could wear the sobriquet of natural history essayist with such distinction."--Chicago Tribune.
Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature Of History
Gould, Stephen Jay. W.W. Norton & Co., Inc. (1990)
Tucked into the Canadian Rockies is a small limestone quarry formed 530 million years ago called the Burgess Shale. Discovered early in the century, the shale holds the remains of an ancient sea that nurtured more varities of life than can be found in all of our modern oceans. Darwinian theory says that animals living so long ago were necessarily simple in design and limited in scope. But more recent interpretations unexpectedly reveal the great diversity locked in the shale. Explosive stuff, for it blasts the belief that the history of life has been a broadening of options and challenges the idea that humans crown the evolutionary process. Stephen Jay Gould advocates the role played in this process by chance. Things could easily have gone differently. It makes the reader wonder what might have been, and lets each of us provide our own answer.
The Structure of Evolutionary Theory
Gould, Stephen Jay . Harvard University Press (2002)
The world's most revered and eloquent interpreter of evolutionary ideas offers here a work of explanatory force unprecedented in our time--a landmark publication, both for its historical sweep and for its scientific vision. With characteristic attention to detail, Stephen Jay Gould first describes the content and discusses the history and origins of the three core commitments of classical Darwinism: that natural selection works on organisms, not genes or species; that it is almost exclusively the mechanism of adaptive evolutionary change; and that these changes are incremental, not drastic. Next, he examines the three critiques that currently challenge this classic Darwinian edifice: that selection operates on multiple levels, from the gene to the group; that evolution proceeds by a variety of mechanisms, not just natural selection; and that causes operating at broader scales, including catastrophes, have figured prominently in the course of evolution.
Mother Nature: A History of Mothers, Infants, and Natural Selection
Hrdy, Sarah Blaffer. Pantheon Books (1999)
Hrdy sets out the thesis that infant caregivers and a communal care system are at the core of human reproductive patterns. Arguing that humans are considerably more fertile than would be expected from a primate of our size, her idea of hyperfertility in humans is central to the book's theme. Readers will be challenged by provocative ideas and provided with a rich set of resources.
Lucy's Legacy: Sex and Intelligence in Human Evolution
Jolly, Alison. Harvard Univ. Press (2001)
Alison Jolly believes that biologists have an important story to tell about being human-not the all-too-familiar tale of selfishness, competition, and biology as destiny but rather one of cooperation and interdependence, from the first merging of molecules to the rise of a species inextricably linked by language, culture, and group living. This is the story that unfolds in Lucy's Legacy, the saga of human evolution as told by a world-renowned primatologist who works among the female-dominant ringtailed lemurs of Madagascar. We cannot be certain that Lucy was female-the bones themselves do not tell us. However, we do know, as Jolly points out in this erudite, funny, and informative book, that the females who came after Lucy-more adept than their males in verbal facility, sharing food, forging links between generations, migrating among places and groups, and devising creative mating strategies-played as crucial a role in the human evolutionary process as "man" ever did.
The Foraging Spectrum: Diversity in Hunter-Gatherer Lifeways
Kelly, Robert L. Smithsonian Institution Press (1995)
The book sustains a deft balance between generalization and attention to details, as well as exceptions. It reveals relationships and possibilities well beyond those apparent to the authors of the studies being cited. In short, it is an excellent synthesis.--American Antiquity
The Human Career: Human Biological and Cultural Origins
Klein, Richard G.. University of Chicago Press (1999)
Described as "by far the best book of its kind" (Henry McHenry, Evolution) and "the best introduction to the problems and data of modern palaeoanthropology yet published" (R. A. Foley, Antiquity), The Human Career has proved to be an indispensable tool in teaching human origins since its publication in 1989. This substantially revised edition retains Richard Klein's innovative approach and incorporates new findings from the past decade (from Amazon.com).
The Dawn of Human Culture
Klein, Richard G. and Blake Edgar. John Wiley & Sons (2002)
Of all the puzzles in human evolution, the most vexing concerns what caused the recent and sudden appearance of modern behavior. While the fossil record reveals that people who looked essentially like ourselves evolved in Africa before 100,000 years ago, archaeological evidence indicates that fully modern behavior emerged later, around 50,000 years ago. What explains the lag between modern anatomy and modern activity? "The Dawn of Human Culture" (John Wiley & Sons, 2002) by Richard G. Klein with Blake Edgar presents a provocative explanation for the quantum leap in behavior that sparked modern culture and consciousness. The book traces a series of major evolutionary transitions in anatomy and technology over the past several million years and culminates with the last and most significant such transition--one that produced people with dramatically new and flexible behavior, with specialized tools and symbolic artwork, and with expressive language.
The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit
Konner, Melvin J . W H Freeman & Co (2001)
Here is all we know about the forces that drive human behavior. Why do we act, and feel, the way we do? Is it genes? Childhood experience? The world around us? In this gracefully written, forcefully argued revision of his now classic text, Melvin Konner shows it to be an intricately woven fabric of all these factors that makes us who we are.
The Evolution of Modern Human Diversity: A Study of Cranial Variation
Lahr, Marta Mirazsn. Cambridge University Press (1996)
Exactly how modern humans evolved is a subject of intense debate. This book deals with the evolution of modern humans from an archaic ancestor and the differentiation of modern populations from each other.
The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art
Lewis-Williams, David. Thames & Hudson (2002)
Illuminating glimpses into the ancient mind are skillfully interwoven with the still-evolving story of modern-day cave discoveries and research. The Mind in the Cave is a superb piece of detective work, casting light on the darkest mysteries of our earliest ancestors while strengthening our wonder at their aesthetic achievements.
The Triple Helix: Gene, Organism, and Environment
Lewontin, Richard. Harvard Univ. Press (2000)
In The Triple Helix, Lewontin the scientist and Lewontin the critic come together to provide a concise, accessible account of what his work has taught him about biology and about its relevance to human affairs. In the process, he exposes some of the common and troubling misconceptions that misdirect and stall our understanding of biology and evolution. The central message of this book is that we will never fully understand living things if we continue to think of genes, organisms, and environments as separate entities, each with its distinct role to play in the history and operation of organic processes.
Continent of Hunter-Gatherers: New Perspectives in Australian Prehistory
Lourandos, Harry. Cambridge University Press (1997)
This book challenges traditional perceptions of Australian Aboriginal prehistory. The natural environment has been seen as the major determinant of hunter-gatherers and Australian Aborigines have been understood to have been egalitarian and culturally homogeneous. Such an interpretation suggests that their prehistory shows few significant economic and demographic changes. Harry Lourandos argues however that hunter-gatherer societies and their socio-economic processes were more complex than previously thought.
Acquiring Genomes: A Theory of the Origins of Species
Margulis, Lynn and Dorion Sagan. Basic Books (2002)
Today, neodarwinists subscribe to the theory that evolutionary change is due largely to random mutation. However, Margulis and Sagan say that Darwinism never really addresses where new species come from.
What Evolution Is
Mayr, Ernst. Basic Books (2001)
A wise and illuminating examination, by an illustrious evolutionary biologist, that sorts out the complexities of evolution - as the author calls it, "perhaps the greatest intellectual revolution experienced by mankind" - with insight and authority.
The Mating Mind: How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature
Miller, Geoffrey F. Anchor Books (2001)
At once a pioneering study of evolution and an accessible and lively reading experience, The Mating Mind marks the arrival of a prescient and provocative new science writer. Psychologist Geoffrey Miller offers the most convincing--and radical--explanation for how and why the human mind evolved. Consciousness, morality, creativity, language, and art: these are the traits that make us human. Scientists have traditionally explained these qualities as merely a side effect of surplus brain size, but Miller argues that they were sexual attractors, not side effects. He bases his argument on Darwin?s theory of sexual selection, which until now has played second fiddle to Darwin?s theory of natural selection, and draws on ideas and research from a wide range of fields, including psychology, economics, history, and pop culture. Witty, powerfully argued, and continually thought-provoking, The Mating Mind is a landmark in our understanding of our own species.
Visions from the Past: The Archaeology of Australian Aboriginal Art
Morwood, M.J.. Smithsonian Institution Press (2002)
As the world continues to shrink owing to globalization, the need to understand the diversity of culturally distinct societies and their interactions with neighboring groups becomes greater than ever. Susan Kent has invited an international team of experts to present their insights into how one type of society, African hunter-gatherers, has managed to survive long past the first contact between foragers, farmers, and pastoralists. The contributors explore many issues, including culture change, trade, tribute, inter-group relations, autonomy, dependence, and differential contact histories and rates of change. They consider why the association of hunter-gatherers with non-hunter-gatherers has sometimes led to trade between autonomous societies and in other cases has led to assimilation. The book illuminates both past and present foraging societies by presenting new data and reinterpreting previously collected data within the framework of inter-group interactions.
Prehistory of Australia
Mulvaney, John and Johan Kamminga. Smithsonian Institution Press (1999)
John Mulvaney and Johan Kamminga take both chronological and regional approaches to describe 40,000 years of Australian Aboriginal cultures, languages, and practices. Discussing longstanding archaeological issues in light of recent discoveries, the authors address such topics as the timing of the first colonization, the mysterious extinction of many of the largest marsupials after the arrival of humans, and the interpretation of prehistoric rock art. Broad regional prehistories describe the emergence of toolmaking, the expansion of ceremonial exchanges, and the influence of Indonesian and Torres Strait islanders. The authors also address such contemporary issues as Aboriginal control over archaeological fieldwork and the repatriation of human remains.
European Landscapes of Rock-Art
Nash, George and Chippendale, Christopher. Routledge (2002)
Taking the immovable nature of rock-art as being crucial to its creation and meaning, this fascinating volume addresses the importance of considering landscape in the interpretation of rock-art sites. Covering a range of European locations including Scotland, Ireland, Scandanavia, Italy and Spain, this volume challenges the normal bounds of what is considered rock-art.
Why We Get Sick: The New Science of Darwinian Medicine
Nesse, Randolph M. and George C. Williams . Vintage Books (1996)
Is our tendency to "fix" our bodies with medicine keeping them from working exactly as they're supposed to? Two pioneers of the emerging science of Darwinian medicine argue that illness is part and parcel of the evolutionary system and as such, may be helping us to evolve towards better adaptation to our environment.
Quest: The Essence of Humanity
Pasternak, Charles. John Wiley & Sons (2003)
Scientists continually look for the genetic factors that make humans so very different in appearance and behavior from most animals--the genes that are uniquely human. Respected biochemist and author Charles Pasternak argues that such genes do not exist. In this intriguing work of history, philosophy, and popular science, Pasternak uses his extensive biological knowledge to discuss man's nature and achievements, his genetic makeup, and his evolution.
The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature
Pinker, Steven . Viking Press (2002)
Drawing on decades of research in the 'sciences of human nature,' Pinker, a chaired professor of psychology at MIT, attacks the notion that an infant's mind is a blank slate, arguing instead that human beings have an inherited universal structure shaped by the demands made upon the species for survival, albeit with plenty of room for cultural variation.
Genetics and the Search for Modern Human Origins
Relethford, John H. Wiley-Liss (2001)
Rather than arguing exclusively in favor of one theory or the other, this publication offers a fascinating and thorough review of the ongoing debate over modern human origins by examining both genetic and fossil evidence.
Brain Evolution and Cognition
Roth, Gerhard and Mario F. Wullimann, eds. Wiley-Liss (2000)
Can one fully understand the mechanisms of brain evolution? Why have some brains become large and complex, and others small and simple, while still others have remained the same for hundreds of millions of years? Where, how, and why did cognition evolve? Is there any definable relationship between cognitive function and brain structure and function? These are just some of the questions posed by the contributing authors of this unique book. By bringing together two intrinsically related topics--the structural evolution of the brain and the concomitant evolution of cognitive functions--Brain Evolution and Cognition addresses the much debated topic of brain evolution, cognitive functions, and the relationship between them.
The Trouble with Testosterone: And Other Essays on The Biology of the Human Predicament
Sapolsky, Robert A.. Touchstone Books (1998)
Covering such broad topics as science, politics, history, and nature, the author writes accessible and interesting essays that explore the human struggle with moral and ethical problems in today's world.
What's Love Got to Do With It?: The Evolution of Human Mating
Small, Meredith F. Anchor Books (1996)
In this refreshingly down-to-earth exploration of human mating and sexuality, an acclaimed anthropologist looks at the fascinating intersection between the imperatives of our glands and genes, and the culture in which we live. Why do we fall in love with the people we do? Is there an alternative, more feminist, way to interpret traditional human sexual biology and evolution? These are but a few of the questions that anthropologist Meredith Small explores in her compelling book on human mating, What's Love Got to Do with It?
The Monkey in the Mirror : Essays on the Science of What Makes Us Human
Tattersall, Ian . Harcourt (2002)
Nothing fascinates us more than explorations of human origins, and nobody tells the story better than Ian Tattersall. What makes us so different? How did we get this way? How do we know? And what exactly are we? These questions are what make human evolution a subject of general fascination. Ian Tattersall, one of those rare scientists who is also a graceful writer, addresses them in this delightful book. Writing in an informal essay style, Tattersall leads the reader around the world and into the far reaches of the past, showing what the science of human evolution is up against-from the sparsity of evidence to the pressures of religious fundamentalism. Looking with dispassion and humor at our origins, Tattersall offers a wholly new definition of what it is to be human. Delightful stories, scientific wisdom, fresh insight - the perfect science book (from Library Journal).
Evolutionary Medicine
Trevathan, Wenda, James J. McKenna, and Euclid O. Smith, eds. Oxford University Press (1999)
Describes approaches to human health based on evolutionary history. Shows how evolution helps to explain the complex relationship between our immune systems and the virulence and transmission of human viruses. For students and researchers in medicine, anthropology, and psychology.
Handbook of Rock Art Research
Whitley, David S., ed. Altamira Press (2001)
While there has always been a large public interest in ancient pictures painted or carved on stone, the archaeological study of rock art is in its infancy. But intensive amounts of research has revolutionized this field in the past decade. New methods of dating and analysis help to pinpoint the makers of these beautiful images, new interpretive models help us understand this art in relation to culture. Identification, conservation and management of rock art sites have become major issues in historical preservation worldwide. And the number of archaeologically attested sites has mushroomed. In this handbook, the leading researchers in the rock art area provide cogent, state-of-the-art summaries of the technical, interpretive, and regional advances in rock art research. The book offers a comprehensive, basic reference of current information on key topics over 6 continents for archaeologists, anthropologists, art historians, and rock art enthusiasts.
An Introduction to Human Evolutionary Anatomy
Aiello, Leslie and Christopher Dean. Academic Press (1990)
The comparative anatomy of the primates is detailed in this rigorous book in a chapter-by-chapter description of regional anatomy from skulls to feet. Anatomical complexes such as those pertaining to bipedalism are described in terms of their uniqueness to humans.
Biographical Dictionary of Social and Cultural Anthropology
Amit, Vered, ed.. Routledge (2003)
Spanning from the late nineteenth through to the present day, and with nearly 600 signed entries from a global team of contributors, this work is destined to become the definitive reference source for authoritative information on the historical and contemporary key figures in social and cultural anthropology. In addition to covering the primary centers of production in the United States and Britain, this volume also includes leading anthropologists from a wide range of regions and languages. Combining valuable essays on seminal historical figurees, as well as entries on the foremost scholars of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, this unique reference offers an important overview of the historical and contemporary reach of anthropological research.
Biological Anthropology: A Synthetic Approach to Human Evolution (2nd Edition)
Boaz, Noel Thomas and Alan J. Almquist. Prentice Hall (2001)
This innovative new text narrates the history of the evolutionary progression of the human lineage through time. Evolution by natural selection provides the conceptual framework as students learn the essentials of molecular anthropology and genetics, then are led through geological time to the origins of vertebrates, mammals, primates, hominoids, and finally hominids. In each section, behavior, morphology, adaptation, and ecology are discussed to provide the comparative basis for human origins.
The Growth of Humanity
Bogin, Barry. Wiley-Liss (2001)
This book takes uses life history theory and biocultural ideology to integrate human demography and human growth. Bogin introduces his hypotheses about the evolution of the pattern of human growth to explain the population biology of the human species. Real examples from a great variety of human cultures and different times of human history are employed throughout the book.
The Past in Prehistoric Societies
Bradley, Richard. Routledge (2002)
The Past in Prehistoric Societies presents case studies which extend from the Paleolithic to the early Middle Ages and from the Alps to Scandinavia. It examines how archaeologists might study the origin of myths and the different ways in which prehistoric people would have recalled, recorded and reviewed their past.
The Human Evolution Source Book
Cichon, Russell and John G. Fleagle. Prentice Hall (1993)
Reconstructing Human Origins: A Modern Synthesis
Conroy, Glenn C.. W.W. Norton & Co., Inc. (1997)
The field of paleoanthropology has undergone tremendous change and growth in the last twenty years. Recent fossil finds at early hominid sites in Africa, Asia, and Europe have ignited debate as well as controversy among the major figures who have shaped the discipline. In Reconstructing Human Origins, Glenn Conroy examines all aspects of the fossil record--paleoecological, morphological, and archaeological--in an effort to better understand the progression of human evolution from our primate ancestors to anatomically modern peoples.
Human Paleobiology
Eckhardt, Robert B.. Cambridge University Press (2000)
Human Paleobiology provides a unifying framework for the study of human populations, both past and present, to a range of changing environments. It integrates evidence from studies of human adaptability, comparative primatology, and molecular genetics to document consistent measures of genetic distance between subspecies, species and other taxonomic groupings. These findings support the interpretation of the biology of humans in terms of a smaller number of populations characterized by higher levels of genetic continuity than previously hypothesized. Using this as a basis, Robert Eckhardt then goes on to analyze problems in human paleobiology including phenotypic differentiation, patterns of species range expansion and phyletic succession in terms of the patterns and processes still observable in extant populations. This book will be a challenging and stimulating read for students and researchers interested in human paleobiology or evolutionary anthropology.
Primate Adaptation and Evolution [2nd Edition]
Fleagle, John G.. Academic Press (1998)
A detailed look at the modern primates and their ancestors among numerous fossils in the past. The book describes the primate body from an anatomical point of view then looks at the environment and habitats where primates live to help explain different primate adaptations. Primate phylogeny is also explored.
Archaeology: The Basics
Gamble, Clive. Routledge (2001)
A must for anyone considering the study of archaeology, designed to provide the reader with everything they should know when embarking on an archaeological course.
Companion Encyclopedia of Anthropology: Humanity, Culture and Social Life, 2nd Edition
Ingold, Tim, ed. Routledge (2002)
New in paperback, this Companion provides a unique survey of contemporary thinking in biological, socil, and cultural anthropology. A prestigious editor leads an international team of acknowledged experts in each field.
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution
Jones, Steve, Robert Martin, and David Pilbeam. Cambridge University Press (1992)
A new and refreshing introduction to the human species that places modern humans squarely in evolutionary perspective.
Biological Anthropology of the Human Skeleton
Katzenberg, M. Anne Katzenberg and Shelley R. Saunders, eds. Wiley-Liss (2000)
The biology of prehistoric and early historic peoples is studied largely through the analysis of hard tissue. Fascinating changes have occurred in the analysis of human skeletal and dental remains over the past few years for various reasons. Factors such as new technology, advances in the field of forensic anthropology, and heightened ethical concerns regarding the study of aboriginal peoples' remains where those people are no longer the dominant culture have emerged as significant themes for research and are examined in this comprehensive book.
The Human Career: Human Biological and Cultural Orignins
Klein, Richard G.. University of Chicago Press (1999)
A well-referenced text that focuses on the fossil record of human evolution and the stone tool evidence of early human cultures. This book details the discoveries in regionally organized site-by-site descriptions of the vast collection of hominid fossils and tools.
Hunter-Gatherers: An Interdisciplinary Perspective
Panter-Brick, Catherine, Robert Layton, and Peter Rowley-Conwy, eds. Cambridge University Press (2001)
Analyses of the ecology, biology, and society of past and present-day hunter-gatherers are at the core of this interdisciplinary volume. Since the seminal work of Man the Hunter in 1968, new research in these three areas has become increasingly specialized, and the lines of communication between academic disciplines have all but broken down. This volume aims to re-establish an interdisciplinary debate, presenting critical issues commanding an ongoing interest in hunter-gatherer research, covering evolution and history, demography and biology, technology, social organization, art, and language of diverse groups.
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Genetics, Genomics, and Proteomics
Redei, George P. Wiley-Liss (2003)
This incomparable reference provides thorough coverage of modern genetics, genomics, and proteomics. The author also includes a vast range of related terms and concepts dealing with biochemistry, cell and developmental biology, immunology, hereditary diseases, and molecular evolution.
The Human Fossil Record: Craniodental Morphology of Genus Homo (Africa and Asia), Volume 2
Schwartz, Jeffrey H. and Ian Tattersall. John Wiley & Sons (2003)
The Human Fossil Record series is the most authoritative and comprehensive documentation of the fossil evidence relevant to the study of our evolutionary past. This second volume covers the craniodental remains from Africa and Asia attributed to the genus Homo. In this monumental and groundbreaking new series, the authors use clearly defined terminology and descriptive protocols that are applied uniformly throughout.
The Human Fossil Record: Terminology and Craniodental Morphology of Genus Homo (Europe)
Schwartz, Jeffrey H. and Ian Tattersall. Wiley-Liss (2002)
The Human Fossil Record series is the most authoritative and comprehensive documentation of the fossil evidence relevant to the study of our evolutionary past. This first volume covers the craniodental remains from Europe that have been attributed to the genus Homo. Here the authors also clearly define the terminology and descriptive protocol that is applied uniformly throughout the series.
Human Biology: An Evolutionary and Biocultural Perspective
Stinson, Sara, Barry Bogin, Rebecca Huss-Ashmore, and Dennis O'Rourke, eds. Wiley-Liss (2002)
Written by world-renowned authors, this comprehensive introduction to the field reviews evolutionary, cultural, ecological, and genetic perspectives and explains how this data is used to reconstruct theories of human population, human adaptation to climate, infectious diseases, and food availability.
Encyclopedia of Human Evolution and Prehistory, 2nd Edition
Tattersall, Ian, Eric Delson, and John van Couvering. Garland Publishing (1999)
Alphabetically arranged with nearly 800 topic headings involving the fields of human evolution and prehistory. Extensively referenced to recent and easily accessible works. Alternative viewpoints reflect the fact that paleoanthropology harbors a variety of interests in virtually all of its subfields that lends the study of human evolution its particular fascination.
Human Osteology [2nd Edition]
White, Tim D.. Academic Press (1999)
Human Osteology, Second Edition, is designed for students and professionals who wish to advance their osteological skills in terms of accurately identifying human skeletal remains, however isolated and fragmentary. The book is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of exceptional photographs and drawings specifically designed to show a maximum amount of anatomical information. With the addition of four new case studies, a valuable guide to electronic resources, and a chapter on molecular osteology, this book will continue to be an essential text for courses on the human skeleton, as well as a basic reference and field manual for professional osteologists and anatomists, forensic scientists, paleontologists, and archaeologists.
The Human Evolution Coloring Book
Zihlman, Adrienne L . Harper Resource (2001)
While the book's title makes it appear to be an instruction tool for children, the completely revised Human Evolution Coloring Book is actually a unique reference book for adults, providing an authoritative, scientific background for understanding the origins of humanity. It includes new discoveries and information essential for students of anthropology, primatology, paleontology, comparative anatomy, and genetics. The book brings together evidence from living primates, fossils, and molecular studies, and it explains the latest dating methods, including radioactive, paleomagnetic, and molecular clocks. Included are surveys of the world of living primates, their ecology, locomotion, diet, behavior, and life histories. Finally, it clarifies the anatomical and behavioral similarities and differences between ourselves and our closest living relatives, the chimpanzee and the gorilla, while also resolving some long-standing mysteries about our relationship to the extinct Neandertals.
The Chimpanzee Family Book (The Animal Family Series)
Goodall, Jane. North South Books (1997)
British naturalist Jane Goodall provides an intimate portrait of a group of chimpanzees in the jungles of Africa which she has studied for many years.
My Life with the Chimpanzees [Revised-2]
Goodall, Jane. Aladdin Library (1996)
From the time she was a girl, Jane Goodall dreamed of a life spent working with animals. Finally she had her wish. When she was twenty-six years old, she ventured into the forests of Africa to observe chimpanzees in the wild. On her expeditions she braved the dangers with leopards and lions in the African bush. And she got to know an amazing group of wild chimpanzees--intelligent animals whose lives, in work and play and family relationships, bear a surprising resemblance to our own.
The Leakeys
Lambert, Lisa Ann. The Rourke Book Company (1993)
A look at the Leakey family?pioneers in the field of anthropology?and their impact on the area of human origins research.
The Leakeys: Uncovering the Origins of Humankind
Poynter, Margaret. Enslow Publishers, Inc. (2001)
Profiles the lives of Louis and Mary Leakey and their dedication to the study of human evolution.
