Humanimal : how Homo sapiens became nature's most paradoxical creature : a new evolutionary history / Adam Rutherford ; illustrations by Alice Roberts.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rutherford, Adam, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Biological Evolution.

Human Characteristics.

Human evolution--Popular works.

Human evolution.

Human genome--Popular works.

Human genome.

Medical Subjects:

Biological Evolution.

Human Characteristics.

Genre:

Popular works.

Physical Description:

240 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Other Title:

Human animal

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : The Experiment, LLC, 2019.

Summary:

"Evolutionary theory has long established that humans are animals: Modern Homo sapiens are primates who share an ancestor with monkeys and other great apes. Our genome is 98 percent identical to a chimpanzee's. And yet we think of ourselves as exceptional. Are we? In this original and entertaining tour of life on Earth, Adam Rutherford explores the profound paradox of the "human animal." Looking for answers across the animal kingdom, he finds that many things once considered exclusively human are not: In Australia, raptors have been observed starting fires to scatter prey; in Zambia, a chimp named Julie even started a "fashion" of wearing grass in one ear. We aren't the only species that communicates, makes tools, or has sex for reasons other than procreation. But we have developed a culture far more complex than any other we've observed. Why has that happened, and what does it say about us? Humanimal is a new evolutionary history--a synthesis of the latest research on genetics, sex, migration, and much more. It reveals what unequivocally makes us animals--and also why we are truly extraordinary."--Dust jacket.

Contents:

Part one: Humans and other animals. Tools. What it takes to be a maker ; Tooled-up animals ; Sponging dolphins ; The birds ; Fiery the angels fell ; War for the planet of the apes ; Farming and fashion ; Sex. The birds and the bees ; Autoeroticism ; Mouthing off ; Whole lotta love ; Homosexuality ; And death shall have no dominion ; Sex and violence

Part two: The paragon of animals. Everyone is special ; Genes, bones, and minds ; 24 - 2 = 23 ; Hands and feet ; Trippingly on the tongue ; Speak now ; Symbolism in words ; Symbolism beyond words ; If only you could see what I've seen with your eyes ; Know thyself ; Je ne regrette rien ; Teach a village to fish ... ; The paragon of animals.

Notes:

"Originally published in Great Britain by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, an imprint of the Orion Publishing Group Ltd., a Hachette UK company, in 2018"--ECIP galley.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-230) and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Rutherford, Adam, author. Book of humans

ISBN:

9781615195312

1615195319

OCLC:

1066069437

Publisher Number:

99981561379