The Chosen Species: The Long March of Human Evolution

Is modern man the logical conclusion of a long evolutionary journey? Or are humans merely an evolutionary accident? The Chosen Species answers these and many other questions about our origins.

Authors Juan Luis Arsuaga and Ignacio Martínez are world–renowned paleoanthropologists and co–directors of the excavations at Atapuerca–––a World Heritage Site and Europe’s oldest known burial site–––where their team discovered a new human species, homo antecessor. Their work has changed the way we see human evolution. Here, the authors draw on their rich experience to provide a fascinating account of our origins. They reconstruct the sequence of events, give an account of how, when, and why man evolved, and draw conclusions based on verifiable facts and well–founded argument. The Chosen Species combines scientific rigor with a spellbinding style that will grip readers as they follow the tale to its end.

Spis treści:
Acknowledgments.
Introduction: Prehistory.
Little Lucy.
Intrepid Paleontologists..
Part I: Children of Africa.
1. Basic Principles of Evolutionary Theory.
2. We the Primates.
3. Climate and Evolution.
4. The Origin of Humanity.
5. The Bipedal Chimpanzee.
6. Paranthropus – Hominids of the Open Plains.
7. A New Kind of Hominid.
8. The Evolution of the Brain.
9. Teeth, Guts, Hands, Brain.
10. Development.
11. Social Intelligence.
Summary..
Part II: A New Home.
12. New Locations for Human Evolution.
13. The Neanderthals.
14. The Origins of Modern Humanity: the Fossil Evidence.
15. The Origins of Modern Humanity: The Genetic.
16. The Origins of Human Language.
17. The Meaning of Evolution.
Epilogue.
The Never–ending Story.
Bibliography.
Index.

Nota biograficzna:
Juan Luis Arsuaga is Professor of Human Paleontology at Universi dad Complutense de Madrid, Visiting Professor at University College, London, and has been a leading member of the team in charge of the burial site at Atapuerca since 1982.
Ignacio Martínez is Professor of Natural Sciences at Universidad Complutense de Madrid and has been a member of the Atapuerca team since 1984.

Okładka tylna:
Is modern man the logical conclusion of a long evolutionary journey? Or are humans merely an evolutionary accident? The Chosen Species answers these and many other questions about our origins.

Authors Juan Luis Arsuaga and Ignacio Martínez are world–renowned paleoanthropologists and co–directors of the excavations at Atapuerca–––a World Heritage Site and Europe’s oldest known burial site–––where their team discovered a new human species, homo antecessor. Their work has changed the way we see human evolution. Here, the authors draw on their rich experience to provide a fascinating account of our origins. They reconstruct the sequence of events, give an account of how, when, and why man evolved, and draw conclusions based on verifiable facts and well–founded argument. The Chosen Species combines scientific rigor with a spellbinding style that will grip readers as they follow the tale to its end.