The Origin of Our Species

Stringer, Chris

ISBN 10: 1846141400 / ISBN 13: 9781846141409

Published by Allen Lane / Penguin Books (2011), London, 2011

About this Item

Ex-library. Library stamps, labels and markings. Dust-jacket in clear plastic cover, taped to boards and endpapers. ; xi, [1], 333, [7 (blank)] pages. Blue boards with silver lettering on spine. Page dimensions: 233 x 142mm. Illustrated. Contents: List of Illustrations; Acknowledgements; Introduction; The Big Questions; Unlocking the Past; What Lies Beneath; Finding the Way Forward; Behaving in a Modern Way: Mind-reading and Symbols; Behaving in a Modern Way: Technology and Lifeways; Genes and DNA; Making a Modern Human; The Past and Future Evolution of Our Species; Sources and Suggested Reading; Index. "In this ground-breaking book Chris Stringer sets out to answer all the big questions in the debate about our origins. How can we define modern humans, and how can we recognise our beginnings in the fossil and archaeological record? How can we accurately date fossils, including ones beyond the range of radiocarbon dating? What does the genetic data really tell us? Were our origins solely in Africa? Are modern humans a distinct species from ancient people such as the Neanderthals? And what contact did our ancestors have with them? How can we recognise modern humans behaviourally, and were traits such as complex language and art unique to modern humans? What forces shaped the origins of modern humans - were they climatic, dietary, social, or even volcanic? What drove the dispersals of modern humans from Africa, and how did our species spread over the globe? How did regional features evolve, and how significant are they? What exactly was the 'Hobbit' of the island of Flores, and how was it related to us? Has human evolution stopped, or are we still evolving? What can we expect from future research on our origins? This book will make every reader think about what it means to be human.".

Seller Inventory # 26367

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Origin of Our Species
• Publisher: Allen Lane / Penguin Books (2011), London
• Publication Date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1846141400
• ISBN 13: 9781846141409
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Very Good-
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good-
• Seller catalogs:
  • Natural History

About this title

Synopsis

In this ground-breaking book Chris Stringer sets out to answer all the big questions in the debate about our origins. How can we define modern humans, and how can we recognise our beginnings in the fossil and archaeological record? How can we accurately date fossils, including ones beyond the range of radiocarbon dating? What do the genetic data really tell us? Were our origins solely in Africa? Are modern humans a distinct species from ancient people such as the Neanderthals? And what contact did our ancestors have with them? How can we recognise modern humans behaviourally, and were traits such as complex language and art unique to modern humans? What forces shaped the origins of modern humans - were they climatic, dietary, social, or even volcanic? What drove the dispersals of modern humans from Africa, and how did our species spread over the globe? How did regional features evolve, and how significant are they? What exactly was the 'Hobbit' of the island of Flores, and how was it related to us? Has human evolution stopped, or are we still evolving? What can we expect from future research on our origins? This book will make every reader think about what it means to be human.

About the Author

Chris Stringer is Britain's foremost expert on human origins and works in the Department of Palaeontology at the Natural History Museum. He also currently directs the Ancient Human Occupation of Britain project, aimed at reconstructing the first detailed history of how and when Britain was occupied by early humans. His previous books include African Exodus: The Origins of Modern Humanity, The Complete World of Human Evolution and most recently, Homo Britannicus, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book of the Year in 2007.