A Theory of Human and Primate Evolution PDF Download

Author: Colin P. Groves
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 404

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Book Description
This book examines the evidence of primate and human evolution in the light of new evolutionary models and advances in taxonomic theory. Dr. Groves discusses the "Nomogenesis" of Lev Berg and criticizes the cladistic school of taxonomy, adapting it in the light of theories of speciation. The result is a theory in which internal processes play a major role in human evolution and taxonomy becomes of major importance in evolutionary interpretation. The book will interest students and teachers of human biology and evolution, physical anthropologists, zoologists, paleontologists, and primatologists.

Author: Russell H. Tuttle
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674073169
Category : Science
Languages : es
Pages : 1089

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Book Description
In this masterwork, Russell H. Tuttle synthesizes a vast research literature in primate evolution and behavior to explain how apes and humans evolved in relation to one another, and why humans became a bipedal, tool-making, culture-inventing species distinct from other hominoids. Along the way, he refutes the influential theory that men are essentially killer apes—sophisticated but instinctively aggressive and destructive beings. Situating humans in a broad context, Tuttle musters convincing evidence from morphology and recent fossil discoveries to reveal what early primates ate, where they slept, how they learned to walk upright, how brain and hand anatomy evolved simultaneously, and what else happened evolutionarily to cause humans to diverge from their closest relatives. Despite our genomic similarities with bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas, humans are unique among primates in occupying a symbolic niche of values and beliefs based on symbolically mediated cognitive processes. Although apes exhibit behaviors that strongly suggest they can think, salient elements of human culture—speech, mating proscriptions, kinship structures, and moral codes—are symbolic systems that are not manifest in ape niches. This encyclopedic volume is both a milestone in primatological research and a critique of what is known and yet to be discovered about human and ape potential.

Author: Russell L. Ciochon
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351496689
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 786

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Book Description
Primate Evolution and Human Origins compiles, for the first time, the major ideas and publications that have shaped our current view of the evolutionary biology of the primates and the origin of the human line. Designed for freshmen-to-graduate students in anthropology, paleontology, and biology, the book is a unique collection of classic papers, culled from the past 20 years of research. It is also an important reference for academicians and researchers, as it covers the entire scope of primate and human evolution (with an emphasis on the fossil record). A comprehensive bibliography cites over 2000 significant articles not found in the main text.

Author: Bozzano G Luisa
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 1483288501
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 507

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Book Description
Primate Adaptation and Evolutionis the only recent text published in this rapidly progressing field. It provides you with an extensive, current survey of the order Primates, both living and fossil. By combining information on primate anatomy, ecology, and behavior with the primate fossil record, this book enables students to study primates from all epochs as a single, viable group. It surveys major primate radiations throughout 65 million years, and provides equal treatment of both living and extinct species. ï Presents a summary of the primate fossilsï Reviews primate evolutionï Provides an introduction to the primate anatomyï Discusses the features that distinguish the living groups of primatesï Summarizes recent work on primate ecology

Author: Peter J. Bowler
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 340

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Book Description
The question of human origin has always been disputed by evolution theorists. This book provides a comprehensive survey of the debates over human evolution from the time of Darwin to the 1940s. Part 1 discusses the early controversies, noting that they focused on philosophical issues rather than causes or details of the evolutionary process. A framework for the debate is outlined, considering evolution theory with race, culture and the progress of humankind. Part 2 describes various theories including the Neanderthal-Phase theory, the Presapiens theory, the Tarsioid theory, and Polytypic theories. Part 3 of the book deals with interpretations of the causes of human evolution. Arguments are presented which relate to the factors of brain expansion, upright posture and environment in the evolutionary process. Trends in human evolution are discussed, including convergence, Lamarckism, nonadaptive trends, and orthogenesis. The book ends with a review of arguments concerning Broom's (1933) question: The coming of man--was it accident or design? An extensive listing of references is provided in a bibliography and note section. (TW)

Author: National Academy of Sciences
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 388

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Book Description
The Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia of the National Academy of Sciences address scientific topics of broad and current interest, cutting across the boundaries of traditional disciplines. Each year, four or five such colloquia are scheduled, typically two days in length and international in scope. Colloquia are organized by a member of the Academy, often with the assistance of an organizing committee, and feature presentations by leading scientists in the field and discussions with a hundred or more researchers with an interest in the topic. Colloquia presentations are recorded and posted on the National Academy of Sciences Sackler colloquia website and published on CD-ROM. These Colloquia are made possible by a generous gift from Mrs. Jill Sackler, in memory of her husband, Arthur M. Sackler.

Author: Dwight W Read
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1315427230
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description
What separates modern humans from our primate cousins—are we a mere blink in the march of evolution, or does human culture represent the definitive evolutionary turn? Dwight Read explores the dilemma in this engaging, thought-provoking book, taking readers through an evolutionary odyssey from our primate beginnings through the development of culture and social organization. He assesses the two major trends in this field: one that sees us as a logical culmination of primate evolution, arguing that the rudiments of culture exist in primates and even magpies, and another that views the human transition as so radical that the primate model provides no foundation for understanding human dynamics. Expertly synthesizing a wide body of evidence from the anthropological and life sciences in accessible prose, Read’s book will interest a broad readership from experts to undergraduate students and the general public.

Author: Warren G. Kinzey
Publisher: SUNY Press
ISBN: 9780887062681
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 322

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Book Description
This book represents an important meeting ground in the primatology field by exploring the various primate models that have been used in the reconstruction of early human behavior. While some models are based on the proposition that a key behavioral feature such as hunting, eating of seeds or monogamous mating led to the evolutionary separation of apes and humans, other models suggest that one primate species, such as the baboon or chimpanzee, best exemplifies the behavior of our early ancestors. Several contributors to the book take the position that no single primate is a good model and contend instead that a model must be eclectic. One of the more innovative essays suggests that ancestral behavioral states can, in fact, be derived by comparing the behavior of all living hominid (ape and human) species. Additionally, several other contributors analyze and discuss the concept of model-making, noting deficiencies in earlier models while offering suggestions for future development. Although it is true that a powerful conceptual model for reconstructing hominid behavior does not yet exist, The Evolution of Human Behavior: Primate Models suggests ways one may be constructed based on behavioral ecology and evolutionary theory.

Author: R. P. SRIVASTAVA
Publisher: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.
ISBN: 8120336569
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 203

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Book Description
This book presents a detailed account of the morphological features of the primates and, in the process, it provides a clear exposition of the story of human evolution. It discusses the theories of biological evolution, the origin of the primates, the morphology of the living primates, the social behaviour of the nonhuman primates, and the phylogenetic relationship between the large apes and man on the basis of immunological and molecular analyses. The text focuses on the Miocene hominoids and their role in the subsequent developments of the hominids. It discusses three theories—the Single Lineage Theory, the Double Lineage Theory, and the Triple Lineage Theory—developed through the study of the anatomical features of the australopithecine fossils found mainly in South and East Africa. The text also gives up-to-date information on the recent discoveries of several hominid species. The emergence of Homo erectus from one of the australopithecines, its cultural attainments, and the gradual transition to modern man are described in the text. The doubts about the phylogenetic lineage of the Neanderthals and the emergence of the early Homo sapiens in the context of human evolution form the basis of various theories regarding the evolution of modern man. These theories are thoroughly examined in the text. KEY FEATURES  Discusses immunological and molecular approaches to primate phylogeny, and various dating techniques.  Includes a number of figures, flow charts and phylogenetic trees to help readers understand the concepts clearly.  Provides a Glossary of technical terms and contributions of some eminent persons to the subject. This book is designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students of Anthropology and Archaeology. Besides, students appearing in competitive examinations will also find the book beneficial.

Author: Carel P. Van Schaik
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470147636
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 546

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Book Description
The Primate Origins of Human Nature (Volume 3 in The Foundations of Human Biology series) blends several elements from evolutionary biology as applied to primate behavioral ecology and primate psychology, classical physical anthropology and evolutionary psychology of humans. However, unlike similar books, it strives to define the human species relative to our living and extinct relatives, and thus highlights uniquely derived human features. The book features a truly multi-disciplinary, multi-theory, and comparative species approach to subjects not usually presented in textbooks focused on humans, such as the evolution of culture, life history, parenting, and social organization.