Shaping Humanity: How Science, Art, and Imagination Help Us Understand Our Origins

Gurche, John

ISBN 10: 030021684X / ISBN 13: 9780300216844

Published by Yale University Press, 2015

About this Item

Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!

Seller Inventory # S_461376745

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Shaping Humanity: How Science, Art, and Imagination Help Us Understand Our Origins
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 030021684X
• ISBN 13: 9780300216844
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

How an artist draws on fossil discoveries and forensic techniques to create transfixing reconstructions of long-lost human ancestors

What did earlier humans really look like? What was life like for them, millions of years ago? How do we know? In this book, internationally renowned paleoartist John Gurche describes the extraordinary process by which he creates forensically accurate and hauntingly realistic representations of our ancient human ancestors. Inspired by a lifelong fascination with all things prehistoric, and gifted with a unique artistic vision, Gurche has studied fossil remains, comparative ape and human anatomy, and forensic reconstruction for over three decades. His artworks appear in world-class museums and publications ranging from National Geographic to the journal Science, and he is widely known for his contributions to Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park and a number of acclaimed television specials. For the Smithsonian Institution’s groundbreaking David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins, opened in 2010, Gurche created fifteen sculptures representing six million years of human history. In Shaping Humanity he relates how he worked with a team of scientists to depict human evolution in sculpture for the new hall. He reveals the debates and brainstorming that surround these often controversial depictions, and along the way he enriches our awareness of the various paths of human evolution and humanity’s stunning uniqueness in the history of life on Earth.

About the Author

Award-winning paleoartist John Gurche is artist-in-residence, Museum of the Earth, Paleontological Research Institute, Ithaca, NY. His works have appeared frequently in National Geographic and similar publications and in major natural history museums.