Simulating Human Origins and Evolution: 42 (Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology, Series Number 42) - Softcover

Wessen, Ken

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521397995 ISBN 13: 9780521397995

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2011

Synopsis

The development of populations over time, and, on longer timescales, the evolution of species, are both influenced by a complex of interacting, underlying processes. Computer simulation provides a means of experimenting within an idealised framework to allow aspects of these processes and their interactions to be isolated, controlled, and understood. In this book, computer simulation is used to model migration, extinction, fossilisation, interbreeding, selection and non-hereditary effects in the context of human populations and the observed distribution of fossil and current hominoid species. The simulations described enable the visualisation and study of lineages, genetic diversity in populations, character diversity across species and the accuracy of reconstructions, allowing insights into human evolution and the origins of humankind for graduate students and researchers in the fields of physical anthropology, human evolution, and human genetics.

About this title

Review

Review of the hardback: '... Wessen's simulation of human evolution will be a useful reference for phylogenetic systematicists, human geneticists, physical anthropologists and primatologists, and paleoarchaeologists who want to think deeply about both the power and limits of reconstructing human history from currently available data and with contemporary tools.' BioScience

Review of the hardback: ' ... the results presented by Ken Wessen really force us to be sceptical about our human lineage ... this book is a good read for everybody with an overly optimistic view of our knowledge of human history ...' www.PalArch.nl

Book Description

Computer simulations of evolutionary and genetic processes can help us understand more about the earliest origins of humankind. In this book, Ken Wessen shows graduate students and researchers in human evolution, genetics and biological anthropology how to unpick the complex interactions using novel simulation software, made available on an associated website.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521397995
• ISBN 13: 9780521397995
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 258