The Evolution of Everything: The Patterns and Causes of Big History

Big History seeks to retell the human story in light of scientific advances by such methods as radiocarbon dating and genetic analysis. This book provides a deep, causal view of the forces that have shaped the universe, the earth, and humanity. Starting with the Big Bang and the formation of the earth, it traces the evolutionary history of the world, focusing on humanity's origins. It also explores the many natural forces shaping humanity, especially the evolution of the brain and behaviour. Moving through time, the causes of such important transformations as agriculture, complex societies, the industrial revolution, the enlightenment, and modernity are placed in the context of underlying changes in demography, learning, and social organization. Humans are biological creatures, operating with instincts evolved millions of years ago, but in the context of a rapidly changing world, and as we try to adapt to new circumstances, we must regularly reckon with our deep past.

Brian Villmoare is Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). His research interests range from broad questions of evolutionary theory to high-resolution studies of the hominin face. His current research projects include studying the role of selection and genetics in evolutionary change and extinction, the specific evolutionary constraints and selection pressures responsible for hominin craniofacial form, and paleoanthropological fieldwork in Ethiopia. In 2013 he participated in the discovery of the oldest fossil specimen of our genus, Homo.