A Companion to Biological Anthropology

A Companion to Biological Anthropology provides an extensive overview of the rapidly growing field of biological anthropology. Chapters are written by leading authorities who have themselves played a major role in shaping the direction and scope of the discipline. Each contribution provides comprehensive discussions of current issues, as well as considering controversies and future directions within the field.
A Companion to Biological Anthropology opens with an in–depth overview of the beginnings of biological anthropology, followed by analysis of all major areas of investigation, including the evolutionary biology of the human species, the fossil record, genetics of individuals and of populations, our primate relatives, human adaptation and variation, human behavior, and forensic anthropology. Authors present thorough assessments of the many recent innovations and discoveries that are transforming the field. The result is a volume that provides a highly authoritative guide for professional biological anthropologists, human biologists, and medical and forensic specialists, as well as an accessible reference work for students seeking to learn more about this exciting field.

Spis treści:
List of Illustrations.
List of Tables.
Notes on Contributors.
Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
Part I History.
1 History of Biological Anthropology (Michael A. Little and Robert W. Sussman).
Part II The Present and the Living.
2 Evolution: What It Means and How We Know (Kenneth M. Weiss and Anne V. Buchanan).
3 Systematics, Taxonomy, and Phylogenetics: Ordering Life, Past and Present (Bernard A. Wood).
4 The Study of Human Population Genetics (John H. Relethford).
5 Human Molecular Genetics: The DNA Revolution and Variation (Dennis H. O′Rourke).
6 Deconstructing Race: Racial Thinking, Geographic Variation, and Implications for Biological Anthropology (Rachel Caspari).
7 Growth, Development, Senescence, and Aging: A Life History Perspective (Douglas E. Crews and Barry Bogin).
8 Climate–Related Morphological Variation and Physiological Adaptations in Homo sapiens (Gary D. James).
9 Emerging Themes in Anthropology and Epidemiology: Geographic Spread, Evolving Pathogens, and Syndemics (Lisa Sattenspiel and D. Ann Herring).
10 Demographic Estimation: Indirect Techniques for Anthropological Populations (Timothy B. Gage).
11 Nutrition, Health, and Function (Darna L. Dufour).
12 Ongoing Evolution in Humans (Lorena Madrigal and Jessica Willoughby).
13 Primates Defined (W. Scott McGraw).
14 Primate Behavior and Sociality (Karen B. Strier).
15 Evolution of the Brain, Cognition, and Speech (Dean Falk).
Part III The Past and the Dead.
16 Primate Origins: The Early Cenozoic Fossil Record (Gregg F. Gunnell and Mary T. Silcox).
17 Catarrhine Cousins: The Origin and Evolution of Monkeys and Apes of the Old World (David R. Begun).
18 The Earliest Hominins (Scott W. Simpson).
19 Origins, Evolution, and Dispersal of Early Members of the Genus Homo (G. Philip Rightmire).
20 Species, Populations, and Assimilation in Later Human Evolution (Fred H. Smith).
21 Bioarchaeology: Health, Lifestyle, and Society in Recent Human Evolution (Clark Spencer Larsen and Phillip L. Walker).
22 Paleopathology: A Contemporary Perspective (Jane E. Buikstra).
23 Issues in Forensic Anthropology (Douglas H. Ubelaker).
24 Paleogenetics: Ancient DNA in Anthropology (Frederika A. Kaestle).
Part IV The Living and the Dead.
25 Diet Reconstruction and Ecology Using Stable Isotope Ratios (Margaret J. Schoeninger).
26 Current Concepts in Bone Biology (James H. Gosman and Samuel D. Stout).
27 ′Growing Planes ′: Incremental Growth Layers in the Dental Enamel of Human Ancestors (Debbie Guatelli–Steinberg).
28 Understanding Skull Function from a Mechanobiological Perspective (David J. Daegling).
29 Tooth Form and Function in Biological Anthropology (Peter S. Ungar and Peter W. Lucas).
30 Locomotor Function across Primates (Including Humans) (Daniel L. Gebo).
Part V Science and Education.
31 Science Education and Physical Anthropology (Martin K. Nickels).
Index.

Nota biograficzna:
Clark Spencer Larsen is Distinguished Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at The Ohio State University. He has served as president of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists and as editor–in–chief of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. He is the author or editor of more than 25 books and monographs, including Advances in Dental Anthropology (with Marc A. Kelley, 1991), Bioarchaeology: Interpreting Behavior from the Human Skeleton (1997), Skeletons in Our Closet: Revealing Our Past through Bioarchaeology (2002), and Our Origins: Discovering Physical Anthropology (2008).

Okładka tylna:
A Companion to Biological Anthropology provides an extensive overview of the rapidly growing field of biological anthropology. Chapters are written by leading authorities who have themselves played a major role in shaping the direction and scope of the discipline. Each contribution provides comprehensive discussions of current issues, as well as considering controversies and future directions within the field.
A Companion to Biological Anthropology opens with an in–depth overview of the beginnings of biological anthropology, followed by analysis of all major areas of investigation, including the evolutionary biology of the human species, the foss il record, genetics of individuals and of populations, our primate relatives, human adaptation and variation, human behavior, and forensic anthropology. Authors present thorough assessments of the many recent innovations and discoveries that are transforming the field. The result is a volume that provides a highly authoritative guide for professional biological anthropologists, human biologists, and medical and forensic specialists, as well as an accessible reference work for students seeking to learn more about this exciting field.