The Human Experiment: Origins and Evolution of Humanity

Is warfare a uniquely human behavior? Do you know how many human races there are? Have you ever wondered how evolution can be both a fact and a theory? How can we know about the distant past if we weren't there to witness it? How did we become who we are as a species, and what does that mean for other species and the rest of the planet?

The Human Experiment: Origins and Evolution of Humanity touches on these and other big questions, and provides students with an introduction to what anthropologists know about the origins of the human condition. Topics include the study of anthropology; science, myth, religion and pseudoscience; evolution; common misconceptions about race; why anthropologists study nonhuman primates; and the emergence of biologically modern humans. Students learn about culture as human adaptation, peopling of the New World, the origins and consequences of food production, civilizations, and global warming.

Designed to help students better understand the evolution of humankind, The Human Experiment is an ideal textbook for introductory anthropology courses. It provides a concise and accessible overview of the key developments in human prehistory and examples of how the knowledge of our shared past is continually being updated as new information is discovered.

David Carmichael is an anthropologist at the University of Texas at El Paso, where he teaches courses in archaeology, Native American studies, and cultural heritage management. He has over 40 years of professional experience in archaeology and applied cultural anthropology, including projects in 12 states throughout the western U.S. Dr. Carmichael's recent projects include archaeological excavations at the Three Rivers site in New Mexico and archaeological surveys at the Indio Mountains Research Station and Chilicote Ranch in Texas.