Human Evolution - A Very Short Introduction

Journal of Human Evolution 52 (2007) 467e469
Book Reviews
Human Evolution: A Very Short Introduction

By Bernard Wood (2005). Oxford: Oxford University Press,
131 pp., $9.95/6.99 (paperback), ISBN 0-19-280360-3.
Bernard Woods Human Evolution: A Very Short Introduction is a recent addition to OUPs series of texts which for the
past decade have provided expert summaries of a variety of
specialist topics ranging from Gandhi to particle physics.
Reviewing for The Times (London), Lisa Jardine describes
the series as snappy, small-format.stylish design.perfect
to pop into your pocket for spare moments; an accurate
description. One wonders how, in the space of only 131 halfsize pages, palaeoanthropology can be given adequate treatment
without reverting to conventional modes of explanation often
employed when catering to a lay audience. Fortunately, this
short volume avoids tired aphorisms while it tackles the
discipline with readability and, at times, humour, e.g. Burgerking ipodensis would not be an acceptable binomial for
a new hominin species (p. 38).
From the outset, palaeoanthropology is contextualised within
the deep time framework of the Tree of Life, following the evolution of vertebrates, mammals, primates and finally humans.
Subsequent sections continue to hearken back to this concept
rather than leaving it to languish as an abstract metaphor. The
second chapter provides a concise but broad history of modern
thought on humanitys place in the natural world from early
Greek philosophy, the emergence of inductive thought during
the Renaissance and the inception of familiar disciplines such
as geology and palaeontology. Wood quickly moves into an
explanation of how modern subjects such as biochemistry and
immunology have contributed to palaeoanthropology and how
these affect our interpretation of fossil evidence.
Chapters 3 and 4 provide a more scientific context for the
study of human evolution. Geological and fossilisation processes are described along with dating techniques, and the differences in types of fossil sites are explored. Later, procedures of
taxonomy are discussed, with particular emphasis on variation
and sexual dimorphism. Wood thoughtfully explains how these
factors may confound the assignment of specimens to taxa, how
relationships between fossil species are determined, and how behaviour is reconstructed. The sections on speciation and taphonomy, while thoroughly summarised, are later in the text than I
expected, and as a result some of the books flow is disrupted.
The second half of the book engages the reader with the
recent history of major finds and events. It gives clear reviews
of the morphology of the fossil species and their reconstructed
diets, locomotor repertoires, lifeways and environmental
contexts. Of particular note, Chapter 5 creates a picture of
what one might expect the first hominin to look like based
on human and chimp models and reviews the potential candidates. Each chapter concludes with a points to watch
section that outlines missing evidence which might help us
address unanswered questions, and these also inform the
reader about directions in which the discipline is moving.
Subsequent chapters are similarly objective and thorough,
with a focus on the morphological variation observed in the
fossil record and how this impacts our understanding of the
trajectories of hominin lineages. Differences between the East
versus South African and the African versus Asian material
are explored and Wood adds a brief insight into well known
controversies regarding the distinction between Homo habilis
and H. rudolfensis, and between H. erectus and H. ergaster.
The final chapter describes the emergence of anatomically modern humans and details the multiregional and Out of Africa
hypotheses and the variety of evidence used to reconstruct later
stages of evolution and migration. While the final timeline and
further reading sections are useful, the book does, however,
lack a solid conclusion. The omission is unusual considering
Woods efforts to contextualise and outline the disciplines
history in other sections.
While the book is impressively concise, some chapters suffer
from awkward inclusions, such as the sections on Teamwork
and Fossils Rediscovered in Chapter 3. Another relatively
minor flaw is that later chapters tend to slide into a descriptive
style dotted with terms that are not defined as consistently as
in earlier chapters. Finally, while experts will find little fault
with the content of figures and tables, they are not always linked
properly to the text and they lack descriptive captions. In some
cases, they provide information that has not yet been addressed
in the text, for instance the map in Chapter 5 labels 23 early hominin sites, but the majority of these relate to species that are
described later in the book; Wood never refers back to this map.
It is difficult to do justice to the entirety of human evolution
in limited space, but this volume accomplishes a great deal. It
would be highly recommended as a background text for introductory university level courses or students preparing to study
for anthropology degrees, and also to a curious layperson with
some degree of scientific background.
Kris Kovarovic
Department of Anthropology, University College London,
Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
E-mail address: [email protected]
doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.12.001

Human Evolution - A Very Short Introduction

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Human Evolution - A Very Short Introduction

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Human Evolution - A Very Short Introduction

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Journal of Human Evolution 52 (2007) 467e469

Human Evolution: A Very Short Introduction

You might also like