Missing Links: In Search of Human Origins

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Archaeology, Science & Nature, Science, History
Cover of the book Missing Links: In Search of Human Origins by John Reader, OUP Oxford
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John Reader ISBN: 9780191619861
Publisher: OUP Oxford Publication: October 27, 2011
Imprint: OUP Oxford Language: English
Author: John Reader
ISBN: 9780191619861
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Publication: October 27, 2011
Imprint: OUP Oxford
Language: English
This is the story of the search for human origins - from the Middle Ages, when questions of the earth's antiquity first began to arise, through to the latest genetic discoveries that show the interrelatedness of all living creatures. Central to the story is the part played by fossils - first, in establishing the age of the Earth; then, following Darwin, in the pursuit of possible 'Missing Links' that would establish whether or not humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor. John Reader's passion for this quest - palaeoanthropology - began in the 1960s when he reported for Life Magazine on Richard Leakey's first fossil-hunting expedition to the badlands of East Turkana, in Kenya. Drawing on both historic and recent research, he tells the fascinating story of the science as it has developed from the activities of a few dedicated individuals, into the rigorous multidisciplinary work of today. His arresting photographs give a unique insight into the fossils, the discoverers, and the settings. His vivid narrative reveals both the context in which our ancestors evolved, and also the realities confronting the modern scientist. The story he tells is peopled by eccentrics and enthusiasts, and punctuated by controversy and even fraud. It is a celebration of discoveries - Neanderthal Man in the 1850s, Java Man (1891), Australopithecus (1925), Peking Man (1926), Homo habilis (1964), Lucy (1978), Floresiensis (2004), and Ardipithecus (2009). It is a story of fragmentary shards of evidence, and the competing interpretations built upon them. And it is a tale of scientific breakthroughs - dating technology, genetics, and molecular biology - that have enabled us to set the fossil evidence in the context of human evolution. John Reader's first book on this subject (Missing Links: The Hunt for Earliest Man, 1981) was described in Nature as 'the best popular account of palaeoanthropology I have ever read'. His new book covers the thirty years of discovery that have followed.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
This is the story of the search for human origins - from the Middle Ages, when questions of the earth's antiquity first began to arise, through to the latest genetic discoveries that show the interrelatedness of all living creatures. Central to the story is the part played by fossils - first, in establishing the age of the Earth; then, following Darwin, in the pursuit of possible 'Missing Links' that would establish whether or not humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor. John Reader's passion for this quest - palaeoanthropology - began in the 1960s when he reported for Life Magazine on Richard Leakey's first fossil-hunting expedition to the badlands of East Turkana, in Kenya. Drawing on both historic and recent research, he tells the fascinating story of the science as it has developed from the activities of a few dedicated individuals, into the rigorous multidisciplinary work of today. His arresting photographs give a unique insight into the fossils, the discoverers, and the settings. His vivid narrative reveals both the context in which our ancestors evolved, and also the realities confronting the modern scientist. The story he tells is peopled by eccentrics and enthusiasts, and punctuated by controversy and even fraud. It is a celebration of discoveries - Neanderthal Man in the 1850s, Java Man (1891), Australopithecus (1925), Peking Man (1926), Homo habilis (1964), Lucy (1978), Floresiensis (2004), and Ardipithecus (2009). It is a story of fragmentary shards of evidence, and the competing interpretations built upon them. And it is a tale of scientific breakthroughs - dating technology, genetics, and molecular biology - that have enabled us to set the fossil evidence in the context of human evolution. John Reader's first book on this subject (Missing Links: The Hunt for Earliest Man, 1981) was described in Nature as 'the best popular account of palaeoanthropology I have ever read'. His new book covers the thirty years of discovery that have followed.

More books from OUP Oxford

Cover of the book A Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art by John Reader
Cover of the book Byron's Letters and Journals by John Reader
Cover of the book The Music of Life by John Reader
Cover of the book EU Energy Law by John Reader
Cover of the book The Adaptive Landscape in Evolutionary Biology by John Reader
Cover of the book The Economics, Regulation, and Systemic Risk of Insurance Markets by John Reader
Cover of the book The Dynamics of Strategy by John Reader
Cover of the book From Personal Life to Private Law by John Reader
Cover of the book Consent in International Arbitration by John Reader
Cover of the book Madness: A Very Short Introduction by John Reader
Cover of the book An Introduction to Transnational Criminal Law by John Reader
Cover of the book Legalism: Anthropology and History by John Reader
Cover of the book The Book of Margery Kempe by John Reader
Cover of the book What is Life? by John Reader
Cover of the book Borderline Personality Disorder by John Reader
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy