Handbook of Paleoanthropology: Principles, Methods and Approaches v. 1-3 - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3540324747 ISBN 13: 9783540324744

Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. K, 2007

Synopsis

This 3-volume handbook brings together contributions by the world's leading specialists that reflect the broad spectrum of modern palaeoanthropology, thus presenting an indispensable resource for professionals and students alike. Vol. 1 reviews principles, methods, and approaches, recounting recent advances and state-of-the-art knowledge in phylogenetic analysis, palaeoecology and evolutionary theory and philosophy. Vol. 2 examines primate origins, evolution, behaviour, and adaptive variety, emphasizing integration of fossil data with contemporary knowledge of the behaviour and ecology of living primates in natural environments. Vol. 3 deals with fossil and molecular evidence for the evolution of Homo sapiens and its fossil relatives.

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Review

From the testimonials

".... yesterday I received a copy of your Handbook of Paleoanthropology.. I just want to congratulate you for doing such a great job. I think there is nothing comparably detailed in our field covering so many aspects as this handbook does. When I started reading in many of the chapters yesterday I couldn`t stop because it was so exciting to read about all these latest views and conclusions of our colleagues regarding so many interesting points. ......" (Prof. Dr. Günter Bräuer, Universität Hamburg)

Synopsis

Paleoanthropology is perhaps the most multidisciplinary of all the sciences. Any complete account of the evolution and cultural and biological context of Homo sapiens must combine information from geology, paleoecology, primatology, evolutionary biology and a host of other fields. Above all, historical information needs to be combined with, and interpreted in the light of, what we know of the living world. Paleoanthropology is also an actively developing field in which much remains to be settled. The three volumes of this handbook bring together contributions by the world's leading specialists that reflect the broad spectrum of modern paleoanthropology, thus presenting an indispensable resource for both professionals and students alike. Volume 1 deals with principles, methods, and approaches. In recent years, enormous advances have been made in such areas as phylogenetic analysis, paleoecology and evolutionary theory and philosophy. The contributions in this first volume present the state of the art in these fields, provide succinct introductions to them and reflect the many ways in which they interact.

As human beings are primates, Volume 2 is devoted to primate origins, evolution, behaviour, and adaptive variety. Its emphasis is on integration of fossil data with the vast amount that is now known of the behaviour and ecology of living primates in natural environments. Volume 3 deals with the fossil and molecular evidence for the evolution of Homo sapiens and its fossil relatives (the family Hominidae or subfamily Homininae, according to taste, a matter that we have left to the individual contributors).

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. K
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3540324747
• ISBN 13: 9783540324744
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 2069
• Editor: Henke Winfried, Tattersall Ian