Human Evolution and Development

Our understanding of human evolution is proceeding at an unprecedented rate over the last years due to spectacular fossil finds, reconstructions based on genome comparison, ancient DNA sequencing and new insights into developmental genetics. This book takes an integrative approach in which the development of the human embryo, the evolutionary history of our body, the structure of human populations, their dispersal over the world and their cultures are examined by integrating paleoanthropology, developmental biology, comparative zoology, population genetics and phylogenetic reconstruction.

The authors discuss questions like:

• What do we know about ancient humans?
• What happens in the development of an embryo?
• How did we manage to walk upright and why did we lose our hair?
• What is the relationship between language, migration and evolution?
• How does our body respond to the challenges of modern society?

In addition to being a core text for the study of the life sciences, 'Human Evolution and Development' is an easy-to-read overview for the interested layperson.

Nico M. van Straalen is professor of Animal Ecology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and specialises in evolutionary biology.

Dick Roelofs is associate professor of Molecular Ecology and Ecogenomics, also at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.