New approaches to the study of early upper Paleolithic 'transitional' industries in western Eurasia

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Nancy Minugh-Purvis and Kenneth J. McNamara

This book reflects two major strands of research in the study of human heterochrony, the change in the timing and rate of development of individuals

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Clive Finlayson

"We have all heard the account of how our clever ancestors spread From Africa and ousted the primitive Neanderthals, driving them to extinction. But was that really how it happened?" "'History is typically the story of victors over vanquished and prehistory is no different', says Clive Finlayson. He presents an altogether more humbling view: there is nothing to suggest that our ancestors were inherently smarter than the Neanderthals. We should think of the two as different kinds of human." "The topic of early human history is highly contentious. Finlayson presents an account that places the various human populations firmly within an ecological context. Drawing on evidence not only from fossils and genes, but also from the many clues about lifestyle from plant and animal remains, he underlines the interweaving of climate, ecology, geography, and lifestyle in the fortunes of populations. What emerges is no simple linear rise to conquest and dominance by one superior species. Instead, we find a complex tale of shifting patterns of settlement and migration, of new skills learnt and lost, as groups of humans of initially quite similar abilities sought out a living in changing mosaics of vegetation and wildlife. Chance, climate, and geography favoured a sturdy group of our ancestors who had honed their skills in the harsh, persistent Asian steppes."--BOOK JACKET.

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Alan Barnard

"The study of human origins is one of the most fascinating branches of anthropology. Yet it has rarely been considered by social or cultural anthropologists, who represent the largest subfield of the discipline. In this powerful study Alan Barnard aims to bridge this gap. Barnard argues that social anthropological theory has much to contribute to our understanding of human evolution, including changes in technology, subsistence and exchange, family and kinship, as well as to the study of language, art, ritual and belief. This book places social anthropology in the context of a widely-conceived constellation of anthropological sciences. It incorporates recent findings in many fields, including primate studies, archaeology, linguistics and human genetics. In clear, accessible style Barnard addresses the fundamental questions surrounding the evolution of human society and the prehistory of culture, suggesting a new direction for social anthropology that will open up debate across the discipline as a whole"--

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Jeffrey H. Schwartz

"In upending the conventional wisdom on relationships between apes and humans, Schwartz provides a fresh examination of the fossil record, genetics, and the comparative anatomy and physiology of humans and other living primates. Discussing these topics from a historical, philosophical, and theoretical perspective, he argues that it is the Asian orangutan, not the African chimpanzee, bonobo, or gorilla, that is humankind's closest evolutionary cousin. The result is a challenge to what we think we know about the origins of humans"--Book jacket.