A Pocket History of Human Evolution (Paperback)

Silvana Condemi

ISBN 10: 1615196048 / ISBN 13: 9781615196043

Published by The Experiment LLC, New York, 2019

About this Item

Paperback. A concise, illustrated update on our earliest ancestors, the first sapiens-and on how (and when) we distinguished ourselves.Prehistory is changing quickly: Thanks to progress in genetics and dating methods, we now know more than ever about our ancient relatives. A POCKET HISTORY OF HUMAN EVOLUTION will bring us up to date on the exploits of Homo erectus and ergaster, the Neanderthals, Denisovans, and others. (Hint: There was a lot more crossbreeding than previously supposed.) These latest discoveries have only spurred more questions. Lauded paleoanthropologist Silvana Condemi and science journalist Fran ois Savatier consider: What accelerated Homo sapiens' evolution - and left us the sole surviving species among many ancient bipedal "humans"? Was it tools, our 'large' brain, language, or empathy? Their conclusions are likely to startle (and inspire a new appreciation for the human foot).Condemi and Savatier also look to the future of our strange species - migratory, social animals with a rapidly expanding population, who have transformed our world forever. By taking stock of our ancestors, we can better understand ourselves. An approachable and helpfully illustrated introduction to our earliest relatives - the first sapiens and their relatives, origins, characteristics, and earliest migrations. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781615196043

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Pocket History of Human Evolution (Paperback)
• Publisher: The Experiment LLC, New York
• Publication Date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1615196048
• ISBN 13: 9781615196043
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Why aren’t we more like other apes? How did we win the evolutionary race? Find out how “wise” Homo sapiens really are.

Prehistory has never been more exciting: New discoveries are overturning long-held theories left and right. Stone tools in Australia date back 65,000 years―a time when, we once thought, the first Sapiens had barely left Africa. DNA sequencing has unearthed a new hominid group―the Denisovans―and confirmed that crossbreeding with them (and Neanderthals) made Homo sapiens who we are today.

A Pocket History of Human Evolution brings us up-to-date on the exploits of all our ancient relatives. Paleoanthropologist Silvana Condemi and science journalist François Savatier consider what accelerated our evolution: Was it tools, our “large” brains, language, empathy, or something else entirely? And why are we the sole survivors among many early bipedal humans? Their conclusions reveal the various ways ancient humans live on today―from gossip as modern “grooming” to our gendered division of labor―and what the future might hold for our strange and unique species. 18 two-color illustrations

About the Authors

Silvana Condemi, a world-leading paleoanthropologist, is the research director of CNRS, the largest French public scientific research organization, at Aix-Marseille University. She is the coauthor of A Pocket History of Human Evolution and The Secret World of Denisovans.

François Savatier is a journalist for the magazine Pour la Science (the French edition of Scientific American), where he focuses on the science of the past. He is the co-author of A Pocket History of Human Evolution and The Secret World of Denisovans.