Tree of Origin: What Primate Behavior Can Tell Us about Human Social Evolution

Book Description

How did we become the linguistic, cultured, and hugely successful apes that we are? Our closest relatives--the other mentally complex and socially skilled primates--offer tantalizing clues. In Tree of Origin nine of the world's top primate experts read these clues and compose the most extensive picture to date of what the behavior of monkeys and apes can tell us about our own evolution as a species.

It has been nearly fifteen years since a single volume addressed the issue of human evolution from a primate perspective, and in that time we have witnessed explosive growth in research on the subject. Tree of Origin gives us the latest news about bonobos, the "make love not war" apes who behave so dramatically unlike chimpanzees. We learn about the tool traditions and social customs that set each ape community apart. We see how DNA analysis is revolutionizing our understanding of paternity, intergroup migration, and reproductive success. And we confront intriguing discoveries about primate hunting behavior, politics, cognition, diet, and the evolution of language and intelligence that challenge claims of human uniqueness in new and subtle ways.

Tree of Origin provides the clearest glimpse yet of the apelike ancestor who left the forest and began the long journey toward modern humanity.

Customer Reviews:

Ideas that snap, crackle and pop.......2004-12-07

I checked this book out of the local library many weeks ago, having come across it via a desultory shelf scan. I was so engrossed by the book, I kept renewing it, then returned it to the library and bought my own copy.

Each chapter got my synapses firing with interesting information about how the evolution of human culture might be inferred from primate behaviors and primate and human physiology. I scribbled numerous notes that started with "I wonder if ... " or "Is it possible that ...", using the data from the authors as jumping-off points.

For example, before I read the book, I'd been wondering if it'd be possible to identify and track back as far as possible in time a collection of aphorisms that all cultures shared, such as "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach," to see what might be learned about our cultural evolution - and how closely our "culture" was actually tied to our physiological hard-wiring. Lo and behold, one of the articles in Tree of Origin appears to offer a heart-through-stomach theory for how humans came to pair off as couples.

The discussion about the size of our neocortex (neocortices?) and its relationship to the size of social groups we can "manage" expanded another line of thinking on my part about what might really be at the roots of what we call racism and of our propensity toward bloody conflict. It's possible that one core cause is our brains' maximum capacity for social complexity, rather than "just" a learned behavior that one can discard through an intellectual process.

The book reminded me of Desmond Morris' books, The Human Ape and The Human Zoo, both of which I also found fascinating.

Now that I own this book, I can re-read it and mark it up as I wish!

Essays on our roots.......2002-08-27

The greatest scientific quest is finding our place in Nature. This leading primatologist has collected a series of essays on primate behaviour in an outstanding effort aimed at answering that question. De Waal's credentials as a student of chimpanzee behaviour are well-known. He's joined here by researchers of equal status in presenting the most recent findings in the field. De Waal states in the Introduction that research in human behaviour falls into two camps - human beings are an entirely unique species or human evolutionary roots are visible in many of our related species. He and his fellow essayists adhere to the second theme, the one that has gained significant adherence over the past several decades of research. "The proliferation of research on monkeys and apes . . . has influenced the way we look at our place in nature."

This collection brings to view much of that research, a compendium long overdue in de Waal's estimation. His team provides new insights into primate behaviour. They combine the research finding with speculations on how modern monkeys and apes reflect the evolutionary roots of our own relations with each other. The topics covered show the impact of environment, the patterns of sex and reproduction, social organization and cognition. The collection addresses the "process of hominization" leading from ape-like ancestors to modern humans. If all this sounds like a series of lofty scientific pedantry, fear not. All the authors present their information in open, conversational style. Although the result of a scholarly seminar, the writing throughout is clear and unpretentious. Anyone interested in their evolutionary roots or in the status of the research will find this collection rewarding.

The quality of this compilation makes choice of place difficult, if not impossible. Each author presents new information and delightful analyses of the importance of the findings. Craig Stanford discusses the role of meat eating [not hunting] in building social relationships. Studied closely in the field in both ape and human societies, meat distribution and sex have a clear evolutionary role. Richard Wrangham carries this theme a step further in his analysis of the social role of food preparation - cooking. He stresses how early cooking must have emerged in hominid evolution and what its likely social impact was in our development. Richard Byrne extends this analysis to describe several forms of food acquisition and processing among various primate species.

If any issue transcends the others in the role of humanity, it is that of human cognition. To those contending only human cognitive abilities are worth studying, several authors respond that "evolution does not proceed by inspired jumps . . . but by accretion of beneficial variants" over time. In order to comprehend the evolutionary path of cognition, definitions are of primary importance. Cognition is here defined as "a species' package of information-processing capabilities" encompassing individual, social, technical and other skills. Robin Dunbar shows how these skills were likely reinforced through selectively chosen group size. He examines variations in primate group size and how these impact social behavior. Charles Snowdon addresses the mainstay of human "uniqueness" in an outline of language
development. In the final essay, William McGrew considers the question of "culture." What is it and how was it derived? McGrew refers to eight criteria, developed many years ago by Alfred Koeber, and applies them in a historical context. McGrew emphasizes that humans are not the only social species. Language enhanced abilities inherited from our predecessors.

This book addresses older ideas and breaks new ground. With a strong foundation in the intensive primate studies achieved during the past three decades, the collection calls for further studies in the field. What these will bring to light will increase our knowledge of where we fit in Nature. There are assuredly many surprises remaining to be revealed. Will you help search for answers to some of these questions?

Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior & Evolution
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Applied Coppingerology K9 style

"Dogs" is a fascinating journey into the soul of "dogginess"

Fascinating look at dogs

GREAT BOOK!

although the dog genome has been sequenced

Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior & Evolution
Raymond Coppinger , and Lorna Coppinger
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend

The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People

Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution

ASIN: 0684855305

Amazon.com

There are dog lovers, and then there are dog lovers. Behavioral scientists Raymond Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger have raised hundreds of dogs of various breeds, raced sled teams, and published professional and popular works on canine behavior. Dogs is their manifesto of canine evolution and treatment by humans, and it offers deep insight, provocative theories, and controversial ideas regarding our relationship with them. Though some of the material is most appropriate for readers with some zoological background, much of it is written for a general audience--one that cares about dogs not just for what they offer humans, but for their own sake.

Arguing that much of current thinking about dogs' evolutionary history is misguided, the authors share their own complex story of wolflike animals coevolving with permanent human settlements and only recently being subject to directed breeding and artificial selection. This is interesting enough, but they go on to take issue with the use and treatment of dogs, some of which they claim is bad for dog and human alike. Pure breeding, making companion animals of inappropriate breeds, and even some uses of disability assistance are assailed for neglecting genetic and other hardwired aspects of canine life. Surprisingly little is known for sure about dogs' lives and behavior, so the Coppingers' contribution is a welcome, if occasionally unsettling, eye-opener. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

Marking the first time that dogs have been explained in such detail by eminent researchers, Dogs is a work of wide appeal, as absorbing as it is enlightening.

Drawing on insight gleaned from forty-five years of raising, training, and studying the behaviors of dogs worldwide, Lorna and Raymond Coppinger explore the fascinating processes by which dog breeds have evolved into their unique shapes and behaviors. Concentrating on five types of dogs -- modern household dogs, village dogs, livestock-guarding dogs, sled dogs, and herding dogs -- the Coppingers, internationally recognized canine ethologists and consummate dog lovers, examine our canine companions from a unique biological viewpoint. Dogs clearly points the way for dog lovers, dog therapists, veterinarians, and all others who deal with dogs to understand their animals from a fresh perspective.

How did the domestic dog become a distinct species from the wolf? Why do different breeds behave differently? Most important, how can we improve the relationship between humans and dogs?

The authors show how dogs' different abilities depend upon the confluence of their nature and nurture -- that both genetics and the environment play equally key roles. They also reveal that many people inadvertently harm their canine companions because they fail to understand dogs' biological needs and dispositions.

Dogs is a highly readable biological approach by noted researchers that provides a wealth of new information about the interaction of nature and nurture, and demonstrates how unique dog behavior is in the animal world.

Customer Reviews:

Applied Coppingerology K9 style.......2007-07-20

My husband, a biology faculty member, brought home a review in the journal, _Science_, of the Coppingers' new revolutionary work, and after I read the review, I was intrigued, so Darling Doc brought the book home from University library. I ate it with laughter, outloud head nodding, and pondering brain wrinkles. I am a K9 trainer of 15 years, have competed nationally, currently have two K9 partners working with me and train others to train their K9s. We also do a sport called Schutzhund, designed as a breed qualifcation test for German Shepherd Dogs. GSDs are very wolflike in appearance, so dispelling the notion that they ARE domesticated wolves was not a topic I wanted to take on with my trainees....until Drs Coppinger. Now I understand my own gut reaction to the earlier theories of evolution wolf to dog. My husband teaches the Coppinger theory, as well, in his intro evolutionary biology course (freshpersons always love dogs and this is a great start, discussion wise and learning wise).

I have been using Drs Coppingers' ideas, information, and wisdom for about 2-3 years now with huge success given the way I train...use of presented genetic/biological characteristics, shape behavior to desired form, and voila! trained dog with little stress.

I cannot recommend this series of books highly enough. I have personally seen the results of application on 3 of my own competition dogs and many others. This book is for the layperson whose dog has the most important job of all, companionship and partnership, to the serious dog trainer and trainer of dog handlers.

Janica Tansey

"Dogs" is a fascinating journey into the soul of "dogginess".......2007-02-17

I had never heard a word about this book before I bought it, but I decided to buy precisely for the inflamed criticism I read from someone who was "horrified" at some of the things he had read in the book,things like "oh,this book is evil, they say horrible things about service dogs(dogs for the blind or deaf)or even pet dogs!!"I think I also read some criticism of someone from the AKC or similar...
I thought Ray & Lorna Coppinger MUST have treaded on some sensitive "paws"+ touched some controversial issues to recieve this kind of criticism...SO I decided to write this review because this book is a JEWEL of dog books.The minute I started reading it,I was fascinated + swept!!Its an amazing and UNIQUE book,full of information it would've been hard to find had not the book been written by biologists.That's probably what sets it aside from other dog books.TRUE:you have to keep in mind its is NOT the book that will tell you how to get your dog to stop chewing on the furniture or how to stop pulling on the leash.But I have already read it twice, and I find it one of the most fascinating books I have ever read in my whole life.I think their hypothesis on dog origin-dogs domesticating themselves by becoming scavengers is highly plausible,just watch dogs in different cities + terraces where people are eating!-and I agree 100% in most(almost all!)of issues the authors claim when they talk about service dogs,show dogs and pet dogs.They are professionals that have decades of experience teamed with scientific data,and real love for dogs.Ray Coppinger has trained + ran with sled dogs for 30 years,and he explains the biological conformation of sled dogs, and why wolves DO NOT make good sled runners(for example)and then he followed shepherd dogs in Europe while they where migrating with flocks of sheep.He explains the difference on how you train one puppy to watch the sheep + another one to herd the sheep, and how the different puppies get used to the different jobs,and how unique that is,considering the dog is a predator and the sheep are its prey,so what a paradox it is to have a predator protecting its prey!!Just read carefully and enjoy every word!I certainly did, and still do.

Fascinating look at dogs.......2006-12-06

Dogs seem so familiar and common that even without owning one, you think you know them. However, this book, written by a biologist specializing in animal behavior, shows us how little we understand dogs. Coppinger points out why the "descended from wolves" story doesn't explain dog behavior and why asserting alpha dominance doesn't mean the same things to dogs as it does to wolves. If you are interested in a scientific understanding of why dogs do what they do, this book will be truly eye-opening. The "critical period" of puppies and the predator behavioral sequences that explain herding vs. guarding dogs were most fascinating. Coppinger should have his own special on PBS.

GREAT BOOK!.......2006-05-31

This book completely convinced me about the way dogs evolved. I really like it! I learned a lot from it. I liked the writers' style as well. Especially I liked the theory for village dog. If you come to Bulgaria, from where I am you'll see the same things authors describe for Mexico and Africa! Thank you, it was such an experience to read this book!

although the dog genome has been sequenced.......2006-03-19

Although the dog genome has been sequenced, this book informs us much abou the developmental genetics as well as the phenotype of the dog species.

The Hunt for the Dawn Monkey: Unearthing the Origins of Monkeys, Apes, and Humans

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The Hunt for the Dawn Monkey: Unearthing the Origins of Monkeys, Apes, and Humans
Christopher Beard
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

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The Ape in the Tree: An Intellectual and Natural History of Proconsul
Man The Hunted: Primates, Predators, and Human Evolution
The Complete World of Human Evolution
Beasts of Eden: Walking Whales, Dawn Horses, and Other Enigmas of Mammal Evolution
Among Orangutans: Red Apes and the Rise of Human Culture

ASIN: 0520233697

Book Description

Taking us back roughly 45 million years into the Eocene, "the dawn of recent life," Chris Beard, a world-renowned expert on the primate fossil record, offers a tantalizing new perspective on our deepest evolutionary roots. In a fast-paced narrative full of vivid stories from the field, he reconstructs our extended family tree, showing that the first anthropoids--the diverse and successful group that includes monkeys, apes, and humans--evolved millions of years earlier than was previously suspected and emerged in Asia rather than Africa.
In The Hunt for the Dawn Monkey, Beard chronicles the saga of two centuries of scientific exploration in search of anthropoid origins, from the early work of Georges Cuvier, the father of paleontology, to the latest discoveries in Asia, Africa, and North America's Rocky Mountains. Against this historical backdrop, he weaves the story of how his own expeditions have unearthed crucial fossils--including the controversial primate Eosimias--that support his compelling new vision of anthropoid evolution. The only book written for a wide audience that explores this remote phase of our own evolutionary history, The Hunt for the Dawn Monkey adds a fascinating new chapter to our understanding of humanity's relationship to the rest of life on earth.

Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence

Average customer rating:

O heavenly bliss! Intelligence, truth, and coherence collides at once!
Y-chromosome: bad
A depressing but very important work
Our roots in reality
Has now been refuted

Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence
Dale Peterson , and Richard Wrangham
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Mother Nature: Maternal Instincts and How They Shape the Human Species
War before Civilization: The Myth of the Peaceful Savage
The Dark Side of Man
Why Sex Matters: A Darwinian Look at Human Behavior.
How Humans Evolved, Fourth Edition

ASIN: 0395690013

Amazon.com

If you harbor a sneaking suspicion that men are a herd of ignoble savages, then this book is for you. Authors Wrangham and Peterson will confirm your instincts. It turns out that hyperviolent social behavior is deeply rooted in male human genes and common among our closest male primate relatives. Rapes, beatings and killings are as much a part of life among the great apes as they are among us. The authors try to conclude on some upbeat notes that ring hollow, but their science reveals much about the dark side of human nature.

Book Description

Whatever their virtues, men are more violent than women. Why do men kill, rape, and wage war, and what can we do about it? Demonic Males offers startling new answers to these questions. Drawing on the latest discoveries about human evolution and about our closest living relatives, the great apes, the book unfolds a compelling argument that the secrets of a peaceful society may well be, first, a sharing of power between males and females, and second, a high level and variety of sexual activity, both homosexual and heterosexual. Dramatic, vivid, and sometimes shocking, but firmly grounded in meticulous scientific research, Demonic Males will stir controversy and debate. It will be required reading for anyone concerned about the spiral of violence undermining human society.

Customer Reviews:

O heavenly bliss! Intelligence, truth, and coherence collides at once!.......2007-08-14

After spending some time postulating theories which might help explain the motives and actions of school shooters, I gathered a list of relevant keywords such as aggression, violence, hate, and male, (since all school shooters I know of have been male) I found myself drawn to a handful of books which I subsequently checked out from my local library. Among these books was a copy of Demonic Males, which I chose (thank God) to read first. I was not disappointed.

In this book Wrangham makes a careful academic study out of his theory that human males are inherently aggressive or demonic as he says, and that this trait is inextricably bound to our common ancestory with apes, and in particular, chimpanzees. He shows this by contrasting human and chimp behavior with other apes, and detailing the calculated murderous behavior exhibited by both species. The result is fascinating. Wrangham carefully shows that aggression is a behavior that evolved in chimps and humans because it enables males to attain a higher status, which in turn guarantees a high percentage of success when feeding and also passing down our genes by sexual reproduction. This search for status he says, to become the alpha male, is the driving desire behind every male, and I could not agree more. As a good example of an aggressive male myself, I confidently say that this desire for status is a primary occupation for all men, especially when they are placed in situations with other males. This, Wrangham asserts, and I also believe to be true, is always the case, regardless of whether the choice to seek a higher status is conscious or not. On an interesting note, he connects (however not assertively or forcefully) that higher animal intelligence in humans and other apes allows the animal to anticipate more effectively, and therefore it can see an obvious advantage to eliminating other males and taking their females and territory (as in the case of chimps) and in the ability of humans to effectively use weapons to kill massive amounts of other people while potientially suffering very few casualties. But Wrangham is tactful on these points, since it would be out of step with current PC thought to assert that the smartest animals kill each other simply on the basis of genes. He is careful to give culturally determined influences their shared blame in this regard, which helps to avoid exonorating those who commit violent crimes.

This is what I find most admirable about the book. Though Wrangham is a born and bred ethologist, he avoids emphasizing the nature side of the nature/nurture debate. Rather he labels that debate as an error perpetuated by Galton, the man who coined the phrase nature versus nurture in the first place. Here the author allows that both biological and cultural factors have their respective and undeniable effects on our behavior, and carefully explains the error in choosing either extreme.

Regarding my interest in school shootings, this book together with chimpanzee politics is essential reading when trying to understand what I would call the more unconscious motives of school shooters, and perhaps even the reasons as to why other males often fail to react aggressively and violently in such situations, given the lean odds for survival and the lack of pre-formed coalitions due to benign competition for alpha male status in a classroom.

If I can derive such information from this book where school shootings are scarcely even mentioned (it was published in 1996 before most memorable shootings), then most any reader interested in the possible reasons for inherently male aggression will delight in the reading of this text. Truly, I cannot reccomend it enough.

Y-chromosome: bad.......2006-11-17

This one provides a quasi-sociobiological and evolutionary historical look at why people are so fond of raping and murdering each other. The authors look at the social relations among the great apes and find, who would have thunk it, very humanlike patterns of war, rape, murder, and other such cute behaviors. They also give various paleontological factoids and speculation about our immediate ancestors which support their thesis. I couldn't help but be annoyed at their blanket condemnation of the entire Y chromosome; they seemed to use the example of the relatively peaceful Bonobo chimps as an excuse for some kind of radical (and nebulous) feminist social engineering a la Aristophanes play 'Lysistrata' where women halted war by withholding nookie. I figure thusly: men are the primary rapists and murderers and warmakers, but wimmenfolk also participate in these activities. Men are also rather stronger and more capable of violence. Furthermore, they are largely responsible for lifting the race from the mud (but wimmenfolk also participate in these activities). These facts are almost certainly related. Menfolk simply have more time for mischeif. Women can be just as vengeful and brutal as men. Still, such books are worthwhile, as there are entire swathes of humanity who think if we all would just indulge them in their particular social, economic or sexual peccadillo, we'd all be peaceful in happy. Not so. Appreciation for the benefits of civilization can only grow when being reminded of the nature of humankind.

A depressing but very important work.......2004-07-09

I read this book several years ago but I find myself constantly referring to it in conversations about politics and global events. The chilling examination of rape, genocide and infanticide practiced by male orangutans, chimpanzees, and gorillas (respectively) is depressingly resonant of our human penchant for violence, and suggests that we come by these behaviors "honestly" by way of a shared genetic heritage. Unfortunately, we don't seem to share as much behavior with our other close relatives, the bonobos, who make love, not war. More poignantly than anything else I have read, this book poses the question of whether humans can ever overcome their genetic predisposition for violence and create a more peaceful society. If the past decade of world events is any indication, the very depressing conclusion would seem to be in the negative. But there are always pockets of progress and glimmers of hope -- of all the great apes we are the most adaptable and unpredictable. By illuminating the biological imperatives underlying our most unattractive behaviors, the book adds to our self-knowledge and, we can dimly hope, may even help our flawed species alter its violent trajectory.

Our roots in reality.......2004-04-21

What drives humanity to engage in its incessant wars? Why do men fight over apparent inconsequentials? Is rape a "natural" and "sex-driven" event, or merely the consequence of human cultural demands? These questions and a host of others are addressed in this superb survey of primate behaviour studies. Ever since Jane Goodall discovered chimpanzees sought colobus monkeys for dinner treats, new studies of primates have revealed arresting behaviour patterns. Like humans, other primates murder, rape and even make war. The authors have scoured a wealth of primate studies to derive a picture of our heritage. They suggest we learn what our cousins do in order to better understand what we do. Otherwise, we will continue to make bad decisions based on flawed assumptions.

Our fellow primates are avid territorialists, argue the authors. Borders unseen by us are clearly delineated by chimpanzees, orangutans and monkeys. These defined areas are hotly defended. The other side of the coin produces invasions. Opportunism, failing resources, or just spite, drives chimpanzee groups to stealthily scout and enter another band's range. Rarely, an individual will stage a foray, but only if he thinks success likely. Too often, the raids appear to have no particular purpose. A sally may lead to injuries or even death, but the attacking troop is just as likely to withdraw to its original range with neither captives nor booty. What prompts these seemingly mindless assaults? Are they inevitable among primates?

The latter question was answered, according to the authors, with the discovery of the "pygmy chimpanzee" or bonobo. This species contrasts sharply with its common chimpanzee cousins, who live in bands beset by tension. Common chimpanzees may raid other groups, but "back home" the hierarchical structure leads to internal conflict. Raids on other groups may vent some aggravation, but it's the struggle for dominance that rules common chimp behaviour. Bonobos, by contrast, use sex to resolve their social conflicts. Bisexual and same sex couplings are common and frequent. With no hierarchy to climb, males need not struggle for dominance. Although a senior female may wield some authority, even her "rules" are imparted by selected groomings or couplings with aggressors.

Bonobos are late arrivals on the evolutionary stage, having split off from the chimpanzee line after chimps and humans diverged from their common ancestor. Humans tended in some ways toward chimpanzee behaviour, toward bonobos in other aspects. Male dominance and most aspects of male violence stem from similarities to our nearest cousins, the chimps, say the authors. They stress that most human violence is rooted in our volutionary past. Although they're prompt to deny that this foundation cannot be overcome, they stress that we must understand these roots in order to make better decisions. Most significantly, they argue, we must shed the mythology of violence as a cultural artefact. This will be a difficult step for many, but it must be taken. This book will ease the path.
[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Has now been refuted.......2004-01-11

I would refer you all to a recent documentary in the BBC "Horizon" series investigating the whole "demonic male chimp" controversy, based on comparing the chimp colony at Gombe with others. Suffice to say, it told a disturbing story of inductive research, extensive intervention by the researchers themselves, affecting the apes' behaviour and ditching of evidence which refuted the "demonic" hypothesis. The alternative hypothesis presented was that the Gombe chimps are unusual, and their aggression owes more to overcrowding within a shrinking area of forest than to any natural "demonic" streak; other chimp colonies apparently show far lower levels of mutual aggression, if any at all. The scariest moment came not from learning that the legendary Frodo had killed and partially eaten a human baby, but from Dr Goodall's apparent coldness towards this incident. Had a tiger or crocodile done this, it would have been shot within days, but tigers and crocs don't have glamourous young women anthropomorphising them in bestselling books or on primetime TV.

Primate Evolution and Human Origins (Foundations of Human Behavior)

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Primate Evolution and Human Origins (Foundations of Human Behavior)
John Fleagle , and Russell Ciochon
Manufacturer: Aldine Transaction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 0202011755

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Fundamentals of Biological Anthropology
John Relethford
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1559346671

Book Description

A brief introduction to contemporary biological (physical) anthropology, this text presents balanced coverage of the major components of the field: evolutionary theory and genetics; the biology, behavior, and evolution of the living primates; human evolution; and human variation. This is a shortened version of The Human Species: An Introduction to Biological Anthropology, Third Edition.

Origins of Intelligence: The Evolution of Cognitive Development in Monkeys, Apes, and Humans

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An excellent book

Origins of Intelligence: The Evolution of Cognitive Development in Monkeys, Apes, and Humans
Sue Taylor Parker , and Michael L. McKinney
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon

ASIN: 0801866715

Book Description

Since Darwin's time, comparative psychologists have searched for a good way to compare cognition in humans and nonhuman primates. In Origins of Intelligence, Sue Parker and Michael McKinney offer such a framework and make a strong case for using human development theory (both Piagetian and neo-Piagetian) to study the evolution of intelligence across primate species. Their approach is comprehensive, covering a broad range of social, symbolic, physical, and logical domains, which fall under the all-encompassing and much-debated term intelligence.

A widely held theory among developmental psychologists and social and biological anthropologists is that cognitive evolution in humans has occurred through juvenilization -- the gradual accentuation and lengthening of childhood in the evolutionary process. In this work, however, Parker and McKinney argue instead that new stages were added at the end of cognitive development in our hominid ancestors, coining the term adultification by terminal extension to explain this process.

Drawing evidence from scores of studies on monkeys, great apes, and human children, this book provides unique insights into ontogenetic constraints that have interacted with selective forces to shape the evolution of cognitive development in our lineage.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent book.......2000-01-11

This is really two excellent books in one. The first book is a comprehensive comparison of how the cognitive abilities of humans, apes, and monkeys develop. Like others of Professor Parker's books, it will be a reference for years to come. A particular strong point is the numerous easily-understood tables that present a large mass of important information in a readily-understood manner. These compare not just the development of the species, but the different theories that have been proposed about how development occurs. The second book proposes a theory about how the differences among primates evolved, then applies it from monkeys through apes and Homo erectus to ourselves. The theory is the opposite of that proposed by Stephen Jay Gould. Instead of being laid to neoteny, or progressive juvenilzation, the authors argue that the cause is progressive adultification. A very worthwhile book for anyone interested in the intelligence of humans, apes, or monkeys.

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Adventures with the missing link
Raymond A Dart
Manufacturer: Viking Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Classification and Human Evolution

Manufacturer: Aldine Transaction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The early relatives of man
Elwyn L Simons
Manufacturer: W.H. Freeman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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