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In The Improbable Primate, Clive Finlayson takes an ecological approach to our evolution, considering the origins of modern humans within the context of a drying climate and changing landscapes. Finlayson argues that environmental change, particularly availability of water, played a critical role in shaping the direction of human evolution, contributing to our spread and success. He asserts that our ancestors carved a niche for themselves by leaving the forest and forcing their way into a long-established community of carnivores in a tropical savannah as climate changes opened up the landscape. They took their chance at high noon, when most other predators were asleep. Adapting to this new lifestyle by shedding their hair and developing an active sweating system to keep cool, being close to fresh water was vital. As the climate dried, our ancestors, already bipedal, became taller and slimmer, more adept at travelling farther in search of water. The challenges of seeking water in a drying landscape moulded the minds and bodies of early humans, and directed their migrations and eventual settlements.
In this fresh and provocative view of a seven-million-year evolutionary journey, Finlayson demonstrates the radical implications for the interpretation of fossils and technologies and shows that understanding humans within an ecological context provides insights into the emergence and spread of Homo sapiens worldwide.
In this fresh and provocative view of a seven-million-year evolutionary journey, Finlayson demonstrates the radical implications for the interpretation of fossils and technologies and shows that understanding humans within an ecological context provides insights into the emergence and spread of Homo sapiens worldwide.
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About the Author:
Clive Finlayson is a noted expert on the Neanderthals and has been researching their final stand in Gibraltar. He is Director of the Gibraltar Museum and Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, having trained in Oxford as an evolutionary ecologist. His previous books include Neanderthals and Modern Humans: An Ecological and Evolutinary Perspective and The Humans Who Went Extinct.
Review:
"Did water make people human? Mr Finlayson certainly makes a convincing case." -- The Economist
"The author provides a wealth of evidence for his view, albeit evidence that could also support alternative hypotheses. The case is carefully constructed and written in accessible prose. This is a useful addition to the ongoing exploration of the casual factors in the evolution and migration of the genus Homo." --The Quarterly Review of Biology
Clive Finlayson is a noted expert on the Neanderthals and has been researching their final stand in Gibraltar. He is Director of the Gibraltar Museum and Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, having trained in Oxford as an evolutionary ecologist. His previous books include Neanderthals and Modern Humans: An Ecological and Evolutinary Perspective and The Humans Who Went Extinct.
"Did water make people human? Mr Finlayson certainly makes a convincing case." -- The Economist
"The author provides a wealth of evidence for his view, albeit evidence that could also support alternative hypotheses. The case is carefully constructed and written in accessible prose. This is a useful addition to the ongoing exploration of the casual factors in the evolution and migration of the genus Homo." --The Quarterly Review of Biology
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherOxford University Press
- Publication date2014
- ISBN 10 019965879X
- ISBN 13 9780199658794
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages232
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. Hardcover. In this fresh and provocative view of a seven-million-year evolutionary journey, Finlayson demonstrates the radical implications for the interpretation of fossils and technologies and shows that understanding humans within an ecological context provides insights into the emergence and spread of Homo sapiens worldwide. Finlayson argues that environmental change, particularly availability of water, played a critical role in shaping the directionof human evolution, contributing to our spread and success. He argues that our ancestors carved a niche for themselves by leaving the forest and forcing their way into a long-established community of carnivoresin a tropical savannah as climate changes opened up the landscape. They took their chance at high noon, when most other predators were asleep. Adapting to this new lifestyle by shedding their hair and developing an active sweating system to keep cool, being close to fresh water was vital. As the climate dried, our ancestors, already bipedal, became taller and slimmer, more adept at travelling farther in search of water. The challenges of seeking water in a drying landscape moulded the minds andbodies of early humans, and directed their migrations and eventual settlements. In this provocative view of human evolution, Clive Finlayson argues that the critical factor to shape us was environmental change, particularly the availability of water. Using these new insights he demonstrates the radical implications for our understanding of the emergence and spread of Homo sapiens. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780199658794
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