Rethinking human evolution / edited by Jeffrey H. Schwartz.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Schwartz, Jeffrey H., editor.

Series:

Vienna series in theoretical biology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Human evolution.

Physical Description:

1 online resource.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, MA : The MIT Press, [2017]

System Details:

text file

Summary:

Contributors from a range of disciplines consider the disconnect between human evolutionary studies and the rest of evolutionary biology.The study of human evolution often seems to rely on scenarios and received wisdom rather than theory and methodology, with each new fossil or molecular analysis interpreted as supporting evidence for the presumed lineage of human ancestry. We might wonder why we should pursue new inquiries if we already know the story. Is paleoanthropology an evolutionary science? Are analyses of human evolution biological? In this volume, contributors from disciplines that range from paleoanthropology to philosophy of science consider the disconnect between human evolutionary studies and the rest of evolutionary biology. All of the contributors reflect on their own research and its disciplinary context, considering how their fields of inquiry can move forward in new ways. The goal is to encourage a more multifaceted intellectual environment for the understanding of human evolution.Topics discussed include paleoanthropology's history of procedural idiosyncrasies; the role of mind and society in our evolutionary past; humans as large mammals rather than a special case; genomic analyses; computational approaches to phylogenetic reconstruction; descriptive morphology versus morphometrics; and integrating insights from archaeology into the interpretation of human fossils.ContributorsMarkus Bastir, Fred L. Bookstein, Claudine Cohen, Richard G. Delisle, Robin Dennell, Rob DeSalle, John de Vos, Emma M. Finestone, Huw S. Groucutt, Gabriele A. Macho, Fabrizzio Mc Manus, Apurva Narechania, Michael D. Petraglia, Thomas W. Plummer, J.W. F. Reumer, Jeff Rosenfeld, Jeffrey H. Schwartz, Dietrich Stout, Ian Tattersall, Alan R. Templeton, Michael Tessler, Peter J. Waddell, Martine Zilversmit

Contents:

1 The Deceptive Search for "Missing Links" in Human Evolution, 1860-2010: Do Paleoanthropologists Always Work in the Best Interests of Their Discipline? / Richard G. Delisle Delisle, Richard G. 1

2 Biological Explanations and Their Limits: Paleoanthropology among the Sciences / Siobhan Mc Manus Manus, Siobhan Mc 31

3 Human and Mammalian Evolution: Is There a Difference? / John de Vos Vos, John de, Jelle W. F. Reumer Reumer, Jelle W. F. 53

4 What's Real About Human Evolution? Received Wisdom, Assumptions, and Scenarios / Jeffrey H. Schwartz Schwartz, Jeffrey H. 61

5 To Tree or Not to Tree Homo Sapiens / Rob DeSalle DeSalle, Rob, Apurva Narechania Narechania, Apurva, Martine Zilversmit Zilversmit, Martine, Jeff Rosenfeld Rosenfeld, Jeff, Michael Tessler Tessler, Michael 93

6 Hypothesis Compatibility Versus Hypothesis Testing of Models of Human Evolution / Alan R. Templeton Templeton, Alan R. 109

7 Out of Africa: The Evolution and History of Human Populations in the Southern Dispersal Zone / Michael D. Petraglia Petraglia, Michael D., Huw S. Groucutt Groucutt, Huw S. 129

8 The Phylogenomic Origins and Definition of Homo Sapiens / Peter J. Waddell Waddell, Peter J. 139

9 "Like Fixing an Airplane in Flight": On Paleoanthropology as an Evolutionary Discipline, or Paleoanthropology for What? / Fred L. Bookstein Bookstein, Fred L. 181

10 Back to Basics: Morphological Analysis in Paleoanthropology / Markus Bastir Bastir, Markus 205

11 Where Evolutionary Biology Meets History: Ethno-nationalism and Modern Human Origins in East Asia / Robin Dennell Dennell, Robin 229

12 Referential Models for the Study of Hominin Evolution: How Many Do We Need? / Gabriele A. Macho Macho, Gabriele A. 251

13 Archeological Sites from 2.6-2.0 Ma: Toward a Deeper Understanding of the Early Oldowan / Thomas W. Plummer Plummer, Thomas W., Emma M. Finestone Finestone, Emma M. 267

14 Human Brain Evolution: History or Science? / Dietrich Stout Stout, Dietrich 297

15 Brain Size and the Emergence of Modern Human Cognition / Ian Tattersall Tattersall, Ian 319

16 Sex, Reproduction, and Scenarios of Human Evolution / Claudine Cohen Cohen, Claudine 335.

Notes:

OCLC-licensed vendor bibliographic record.

ISBN:

9780262344180

0262344181

OCLC:

1021882297

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.