From Biped to Strider (Paperback)

D. Jeffrey Meldrum

ISBN 10: 030648000X / ISBN 13: 9780306480003

Published by Springer Science+Business Media, New York, 2004

About this Item

Paperback. The study of human bipedalism has been overshadowed by many polarized debates. One dispute concerns whether or not australopithecines were wholly terrestrial or retained a degree of arboreality. Another deliberation focuses on the bipedalism of australopithecines compared to modern humans: was it similar, intermediate in nature, or unique? Because of the preoccupation with discussions such as these, the significant fact that modern human walking is more than locomotion on two legs has been underemphasized. This volume focuses on the pattern and process of the transition to the modern form of human locomotion, with its adaptations for a striding stiff-legged gait, efficiency of running, and economy of resource transport. This emerging group of contributors spanning the fields of anthropology, biology and anatomy debate issues such as: - When and in what sequence did these morphological traits appear? - What were the changes in the bio-behavioral complex of hominin locomotor evolution? - What were the implications for the enhancement and expansion of hominin mobility?This essential reading will be of interest to biological, paleontological, and physical anthropologists and students in these fields. 'This is the book I have been waiting for. Community Operational Research has shown that analysis can be used not only for, but also with, community groups, helping them to gain more control of their situations. What Midgley and Ochoa-Arias' volume does is provide not only rich examples of grass-roots practice, but also thought-provoking theoretical explorations. The editors have a point of view, but they allow space for debate with those who interpret Community OR differently.' Jonathan Rosenhead (Emeritus Professor of Operational Research, London School of Economics and Political Science; Ex-President of the Operational Research Society) '.What the many authors in this book have in common is a commitment to serve the interests of all those affected by a community's behavior - its stakeholders. This is acquiring a new significance as we decreasingly conceptualize corporations and organizations in general as organisms, and begin to think of them, as Charles Handy has, as communities.'Russell Ackoff (Professor Emeritus of the Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania; Ex-President of ORSA; Vice President of TIMS) The inspiration for this volume of contributed papers stemmed from conversations between the editors in front of Chuck Hilton's poster on the determinants of hominid walking speed, presented at thel998 meetings of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA). Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780306480003

Bibliographic Details

• Title: From Biped to Strider (Paperback)
• Publisher: Springer Science+Business Media, New York
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 030648000X
• ISBN 13: 9780306480003
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

The inspiration for this volume of contributed papers stemmed from conversations between the editors in front of Chuck Hilton's poster on the determinants of hominid walking speed, presented at thel998 meetings of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA). Earlier at those meetings, Jeff Meldrum (with Roshna Wunderlich) had presented an alternate interpretation of the Laetoli footprints based on evidence of midfoot flexibility. As the discussion ensued we found convergence on a number of ideas about the nature of the evolution of modem human walking. From the continuation of that dialogue grew the proposal for a symposium which we called From Biped to Strider: the Emergence of Modem Human Walking. The symposium was held as a session of the 69th annual meeting of the AAPA, held in San Antonio, Texas in 2000. It seemed to us that the study of human bipedalism had become overshadowed by theoften polarized debates over whether australo­ pithecines were wholly terrestrial in habit, or retained a significant degree of arboreality.

Review

From the reviews of the first edition:

"The aim of this volume is to present a variety of analytical approaches that reveal how human bipedality facilitates and limits patterns of landscape use, mobility, and resource collection. ??? Importantly, given the diversity of the intended audiences ??? clearly stated hypotheses and illustrations make potentially complex anatomical analysis accessible to the non-morphologist." (Philip L. Reno, Human Ecology, Vol. 34, 2006)

From the reviews of the first edition:

"The aim of this volume is to present a variety of analytical approaches that reveal how human bipedality facilitates and limits patterns of landscape use, mobility, and resource collection. a ] Importantly, given the diversity of the intended audiences a ] clearly stated hypotheses and illustrations make potentially complex anatomical analysis accessible to the non-morphologist." (Philip L. Reno, Human Ecology, Vol. 34, 2006)