Product Description
This digital document is an article from Encyclopedia of Science and Religion, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 4651 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Addresses the interactions, contradictions, and tensions between science and religion, both historically and in contemporary life. The set examines technologies like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and continuing developments in neurophysiology against the backdrop of deeply-held religious beliefs. In addition, phenomena such as the Church of Scientology are also studied, along with more traditional issues, such as the origins of life, the nature of sin, and the philosophy of science and religion. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Science and Its Times, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1849 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The histories of science, technology, and mathematics merge with the study of humanities and social science in this interdisciplinary reference work. Essays on people, theories, discoveries, and concepts are combined with overviews, bibliographies of primary documents, and chronological elements to offer students a fascinating way to understand the impact of science on the course of human history and how science affects everyday life. Entries represent people and developments throughout the world, from about 2000 B.C. through the end of the twentieth century. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from American Decades: Primary Sources, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 2815 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.American Decades Primary Sources provides fresh insight into the decade's most important events, people, and issues. Entries representing a diversity of views that provide insight into the seminal issues, themes, movements and events from the decade. Also included are concise contextual information, notes about the author and further resources. American Decades Primary Sources includes chapters on the arts, medicine and health, media, education, world events, religion, government and politics, lifestyles and social trends, law and justice, religion, business and the economy, and sports. Included to provide unique perspectives and a wealth of understanding are first hand accounts that include oral histories, songs, speeches, advertisements, TV, play and movie scripts, letters, laws, legal decisions, newspaper articles, cartoonsand recipes. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Journal of the Alabama Academy of Science, published by Alabama Academy of Science on October 1, 2002. The length of the article is 3883 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Tolbert Farm: a Paleo-Early Archaic Site complex near Jacksonville, Alabama.
Author: Harry O. Holstein
Publication: Journal of the Alabama Academy of Science (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 2002
Publisher: Alabama Academy of Science
Volume: 73Issue: 4Page: 188(11)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Africa: An Encyclopedia for Students, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 354 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Based on the scholarship in the acclaimed Encyclopedia of Africa, this work presents Africa, from Egypt to Cape Town and from prehistoric times to the present day. This set spans many disciplines, covering animals, foods, holidays and festivals, tribal groups, ecology, music and art, trade and economy, geography, religion, folklore, and fossil and skeletal discoveries. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Encyclopedia of Religion, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 468 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The second edition of this highly regarded encyclopedia, preserving the best of the first edition's cross-cultural approach, while emphasizing religion's role within everyday life and as a unique experience from culture to culture, this new edition is the definitive work in the field for the 21st century. An international team of scholars and contributors have reviewed, revised and added to every word of the classic work, making it relevant to the questions and interests of all researchers. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is a journal article from L'Anthropologie, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Since 1991, several human remains: 5 skulls, 4 mandibles and numerous postcranial fragments have been discovered on the Dmanissi prehistoric open site. It is an exceptional discovery due to the stratigraphical, paleontological and cultural context, which is well known and accurately well dated (Upper Pliocene-Early Pleistocene). Most of the hominids discovered in the level V and VI are dated between 1.81 My (level V) and 1.77 My (level VI) corresponding to a 40,000 years period. The assemblage of fossil human remains is peculiar due to (1) the quality of bone representation (distinct parts of the skeleton are preserved: skull, thorax, upper and lower limbs, belt), (2) the high degree of bone preservation (skulls and long bones are entire, rarely broken or crushed), (3) the diversity age at death estimated for each of the 5 individuals (3 adults, 1 young adult, 1 adolescent of both sexes). The study dealing with the first discovered mandibles and skulls has begun with Leo Gabounia since 1991 and represents several interests: 1) a paleoanthropological interest: the Dmanissi skulls are characterized by their small size; they are short, narrow and low. The skullcaps are less elevated than those of the Homo erectus group and even those of Homo ergaster. They are more elevated than those of Homo habilis and very close to Homo rudolfensis. The elevation and the transversal development of the middle part of the skull in the parietotemporal region are more significant: the Dmanissi specimens are intermediate between Homo habilis and Homo ergaster. In term of cranial capacity, a similar trend is observed. Generally speaking, the skull is slender. The vault is more flat than in Homo erectus, the frontal bone is less developed, divergent and the postorbital constriction is strong. The temporal bone is long, flat and the mastoid part is short. The upper part of the occipital bone is low and narrow. Crests are thin, less developed than in the Homo erectus group. The superior temporal crests are in a high position and a torus angularis is present on the adult-male specimen. The glenoid cavity is large with strong edges. The petrotympanic region is slender with a tympanic circle individualized and it shows a horizontal rotation in a posterior position, which is distinct from Homo erectus. The orthognathic trend of the face distinguishes the Dmanissi specimens from the early Pleistocene hominids (Homo habilis, Homo ergaster) and from the first Eurasian Homo erectus. Nevertheless, the subnasal region of the face is projected. The morphology of the mid-face, showing a developed pillar of the canine, an inframalar incurvation and an anterior position of the root of the zygomaticomaxillary crest, suggests strong masticatory stress. Considering the overall morphology, cranial and metrical features, the Dmanissi fossil skulls are intermediate to the Homo habilis-rudolfensis group and Homo ergaster while they are closer to the former and peculiarly to Homo rudolfensis (ER 1470). However, the Dmanissi fossil skulls are distinct from Homo rudolfensis by numerous features and among them: by their large maximum cranial width (Euryon-Euryon), the posterior rotation of their petrotympanic structure and the strong development of the pillar of their canine. Due to the gracility of their face, the narrowness of their occipital bone, and their cranial base pattern (mastoid region and petrotympanic structure), the Dmanissi fossil skulls are different from the Homo erectus group: 2) the abundance of the human fossils discovered in Dmanissi site provides information about the biodiversity of these hominids with the establishment of the morphological features related to either growth or sexual patterns: 3) compared to modern humans, the Dmanissi fossil skulls seem to follow a different growth pattern. The present study of the fossil skulls discovered is a pioneer step. Indeed, the Dmanissi site has yielded the oldest evidences of the first settlements in Eurasia, which were, until now, attributed to Homo erectus. The Dmanissi fossil skulls are close to the Homo habilis-rudolfensis African group. We attribute these hominids to Homo georgicus. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from American Decades: Primary Sources, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1251 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.American Decades Primary Sources provides fresh insight into the decade's most important events, people, and issues. Entries representing a diversity of views that provide insight into the seminal issues, themes, movements and events from the decade. Also included are concise contextual information, notes about the author and further resources. American Decades Primary Sources includes chapters on the arts, medicine and health, media, education, world events, religion, government and politics, lifestyles and social trends, law and justice, religion, business and the economy, and sports. Included to provide unique perspectives and a wealth of understanding are first hand accounts that include oral histories, songs, speeches, advertisements, TV, play and movie scripts, letters, laws, legal decisions, newspaper articles, cartoonsand recipes. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 2872 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Intended to provide a comprehensive description of the enterprise of education both within the United States and throughout the world. Articles offer a view of the institutions, people, processes, and products found in educational practice. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Anthropology revealed
Dr. Gundling presented fascinating scientific information without excess use of "jargon".I'm a scientist, but anthropology is not my field and I found this book very interesting, well written with a good listing of resources.
I learned a lot. ... Read more

Product Description
Human Evolution provides a comprehensive overview of hominid evolution, synthesizing data and approaches from fields as diverse as physical anthropology, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, genetics, archaeology, psychology, and philosophy.

The book begins with chapters on evolution, population genetics, systematics, and the methods for constructing evolutionary trees. These are followed by a comprehensive review of the fossil history of human evolution since our divergence from the apes. Subsequent chapters cover more recent data, both fossil and molecular, relating to the evolution of modern humans. A final section describes the evolution of culture, language, art, and morality.

The authors are leading experts in two complementary fields of scholarship: physical anthropology and molecular evolution. Throughout the book they successfully integrate their expertise in evolutionary theory, phylogenetics, genomics, cultural evolution, language, aesthetics, and morality to produce a cutting edge textbook, copiously illustrated and with an extensive and up-to-date bibliography. The text is suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate level students taking courses on human evolution within departments of biology, anthropology, psychology, and philosophy. The book may also be of interest to a more general audience seeking a readable, up-to-date, and inclusive treatment of human origins and evolution. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (20)

more fantastic & thought-provoking than science fiction
I picked up this book in a bookstore with skepticism--it seemed more like a product from National Enquirer than a work of real science--WEIRD PROTO-HUMANS WALKED THE EARTH, LEFT BEHIND BONES! I was so unaware of the range & diversity of early human types before buying this book; now I treasure it, and use it as a touch-point as I wade deeper into reading about the origins of our species.

Our humble origins, and the unique and treacherous evolutionary path from back then to us
A spectacular book. Stunning illustrations.
That makes you appreciate more than ever how remarkable it really is that we ended up being able to ponder our own past....

The author's stick to facts and steer away from opinion and conjecture. It is straightforward interpretations of the fossils. And on top of that you have artists stunning illustrations of what the fossils might actually be telling us.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in human ancestors. I can't recommend it enough!

-Simon

A marvelous look at our evolutionary cousins


We homo sapiens are presently the end of the line for hominid evolution.

We're the end of a lineage that involves at least twenty other hominid species. The fossil record is actually very sparse. But a multi-disciplinary team draws upon existing knowledge to create compelling portraits of homo sapiens (which have a fairly rich fossil record) and 21 other hominid lines, some of which are known from only a few fossil fragments.

The story begins six to seven million years ago with the first known hominids not more closely related to the great apes. Each genera is treated individually or as part ofa small group. There is a fictional account intended to "humanize" these primitive ancestors and then a section providing specifics on the fossil remains, their calculated ages, where they were found, information on any fossil tools found in the same strata, skeleton, gait, posture, possible range, climate, classification and more. The information presented is mildly technical and the writing style is a bit dry. But there is nothing inaccessible to the intelligent lay reader.

The text is punctuated by extraordinary illustrations based on meticulous reconstructions of what our ancestors may have looked like. Simplistic maps are also used to locate finds and occasionally range.

There are occasional asides, including an extremely interesting one on the role of volcanic activity in preserving the remains of early human like creature. It is, in fact, volcanic activity that we large have to thank for some of the extraordinary fossil finds in Africa. Another covers the fascinating role limestone plays in fossil preservation.

Although the book is essentially a scientific exploration of human species, great drama is supplied by the very descriptions, such as diet, which may have included cannibalism since some of the extinct species existed contemporaneously with each other and, even within species, meat was meat.

This book drives home the miraculous survival of the hominid lineage who have become the dominant life form on the planet. Over the past several million years, nature has experimented endlessly, casting aside one branch and then another until homo sapiens emerged as the sole hominid on the planet it rules. We have descended from creatures that were not remarkable save for their bipedalism. But generation after generation, evolutionary change and perhaps of greater importance, cultural change brought lines of early hominids greater sophistication in adapting to their surroundings, making and using tools and exploiting their environments.

Yes, this is a scientific book, but it is highly readable and well worth reading for anyone wanting to contemplate what being a homo sapien is about and where we came from.

Jerry

A reconstructedfamily, tree guide book, to our previous cousins in evolution of,primates
This reconstructed hominid,guide book that i have on my desk, explores and delves into what were once our previouscousins in the family tree of evolution but also at the same timecontinues to shed newer light on the evolutionary line that has gradually step-by-step changed, in selecting natural life for primates, which of course in the endmakes us homo sapiens the sole survivors of our own extinct heritage that can only be vividly reconstructed in detail by our own hominid cousins us people or primates to put it more exactly right.A book,that deserves five stars from me peppercorn joshua!

The Last Human
"The Last Human" is worth owning as a reference guide to early humans, if for no other reason. The book is printed on thick high gloss paper and there are numerous color photographs within the book. The book contains essentially three sections per prehuman species discussed. First, there is usually a small fantasy story, which tries to help one see life as this creature saw it way back when. Second, there is a photograph of the creature as he/she might have looked when alive. Third, there is a data section listing facts such as kinds of fossils found, geology of the fossil sites , dating, climate at the time, animals found in the same stratum, and historical notes. The book starts with the oldest of our possible ancestors and progresses species by species forward in time, ending with our species (Homo sapiens).

The fantasy stories are based on factual evidence ( indications of cannibalism, tool marks on animal bones, stone tools, etc). However, There are many things still unknown to us such as when man could actually communicate by speech. So, one should realize the stories may be wrong in some aspects. The flesh and blood recreations of the fossil skulls are most likely accurate as far as general shape of the head is concerned. Scientific methods were employed to add tissue to the skulls. However, no one really knows when we first lost our fur coats or the shapes of our noses. So again, sprinkle a little salt on the proposed creature's appearance and reserve judgement. The data section for each species is as detailed as what could reasonably expected considering the huge task these authors have undertaken. The interpretations of what the bones tell us might be contested by other anthropologists, but controversy has been the norm for this field from its beginning. The one big impression, that I came away with, was that the authors are dubious that most of these creatures were basically bipedal walkers. They believe that they were upright walkers for short periods, but may have resorted to quadrupedal motion if they needed to get away fast. Up until reading their book, I had thought bipedal walking was dominant for the australopithicines and surely for the homos. Yet, they express doubt even about the the bipedalism of early homos, like homo habilis.

A word to the authors for when they start a revision to this books: First, I give you high credit for the great task that you completed. However, you can make this book much, much better than it is. The data sections are overwhelming in wordiness. For example, you give us lengthy sentences of all the animals found in the concerned stratrum. It would be easier to read if the animals were shown as a list in a table with other columns indicating whether extinct, and other traits. There should be a detachable super table relating these animals to periods of existence, climate preference, etc. Also, in describing fossil features and how one species compares with another, provide photos of what you are discussing. I feel that you were overwhelmed by the task and took the easier way out rather than making a proper argument by illustrating your comparative anatomical conclusion. Remember, the reader would like to view the data and see if he/she agrees with your conclusion. On the plus side, I applaud you for including a map of where the respective fossils were found and the graphic showing the period that it was alive. I appreciated that graphic aid immensely. Now you need to add more graphic aids to the textual descriptions.

General conclusion: Readers, who are serious about studying our prehistoric ancestors, should buy this book without hesitation. It is organized for your convenience and is chuck full of revelant facts. It is expensively produced and yet is attractively priced.
reviewed by: Ralph D. Hermansen on October 5, 2009

... Read more

Product Description
Extensively revised and updated, the second edition of The Fossil Trail: How We Know What We Think We Know About Human Evolution offers a colorful history of fossil discoveries and a revealing insider's look at how these finds have been interpreted--and misinterpreted--through time. It covers the dramatic increase in the size and scope of the human fossil record as well as new techniques for analyzing and interpreting that record that have emerged in the thirteen intervening years since the first edition's publication. Author Ian Tattersall, Curator in the Division of Anthropology of the American Museum of Natural History, places the researchers and their discoveries within the context of their social and scientific milieus and reveals the many forces that shape our interpretation of fossil findings.

The Fossil Trail provides an up-to-the-minute overview of paleoanthropological thought and discovery and presents our "family tree" as it is portrayed in the Spitzer Hall of Human Origins at the American Museum of Natural History.
New to the Second Edition

*Revisions throughout bring this edition thoroughly up to date
*New chapters: Chapters 17 and 18 include a discussion of the state of paleoanthropology as the first decade of the 21st century concludes and thoughts on the future of the field
*A new gallery of maps of major fossil sites, in Western Europe, Central Europe, the Caucasus and Near East, East Asia, Northern Africa, and Southern Africa
*Updated opening timeline includes the stratigraphic ranges of twenty-three hominid species
*In addition to over 90 high quality fossil renderings, new photographs illustrate new findings in the field
... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Very good summation of a complex science
I'm not sure why some people panned this book as boring.I enjoyed reading it and found it held my interest from beginning to end.Tattersall gives a really good overview of the complex and contentious field of human evolution.There are so many new fossils discovered since 1990, and still being discovered and described, that will make for more books like this.I read the 2009 edition.

The best introduction available
Some people seem to regard Tattersall's style as difficult and even dull. I on the contrary find this book to be clearly and well written and there are even sparks of a mild sense of humour. This book is quite simply where to start. The best and fullest introduction and something not to be missed by anyone interested in our origins and a book to have on your shelf and return to many times. Had I borrowed this book from a friend I would instantly have ordered my own copy.

Wrong title
I think this should have been called "How We CAME to Know What We Think We Know About Human Evolution".It is more of a history of discoveries than discussion on conclusions based on those discoveries.
This is my first read in paleoanthropology and I found it a bit difficult.In some cases, discussion on historical hypothesis were glossed over where I felt they could have been elaborated.Although Tattersall comes across as intelligent, I found it to be a slow read due to both vocabulary and flow.Overall, not recommended as a pleasure read.

Detailed, complex but ultimately rewarding
Ian Tattersall's _The Fossil Trail_ traces the evolution of scientific undestanding of human origins in exquisite detail and in a language that is understandable to the lay reader.The book is rich with scale diagrams of the fossil record of early hominids, presenting the various theories of human evolution from the mid-nineteenth century to the present.

Because of the subject matter and the aim of the book, it is dense reading, and it clearly is not for everyone.Nonetheless it is a fascinating and rewarding book.

Tattersall provides access to a complex field
Ian Tattersall does wonders for paleontology and anthropology. Here he literally explains "how we know what we think we know about human evolution."

Tattersall illuminates just how fasions and concepts are constantly shifting as new fossils are found. His description of how and where fossils are found is fascinating. We don't know nearly as much about human evolution as most might think. And what we think of evolution is subject to constant change - and not at all firm.

Overall, Tattersall provides an easily accessible path to a complex subject. Anyone with an interest in how humankind may have evolved will find this interesting reading.

Jerry ... Read more

Product Description
The core subject matter of bioarchaeology is the lives of past peoples, interpreted anthropologically.Human remains, contextualized archaeologically and historically, form the unit of study.Integrative and frequently inter-disciplinary, bioarchaeology draws methods and theoretical perspectives from across the sciences and the humanities.
Bioarchaeology: The Contextual Study of Human Remains focuses upon North American bioarchaeology, as defined above, which contrasts with European approaches more firmly linked to the study of all organic archaeological residues.Although Buikstra coined this use of Bioarchaeology in the 1970s, the unique approaches of this field of inquiry have much deeper roots, primarly reflected in the history of American Anthropology.This book uses an historical approach to explore this history, to define the current status of the field, and to project the future of bioarchaeology.It is divided into three sections: 1) People and Places - Early Landmarks in Bioarchaeology; 2) Emerging Specialities; and 3) On to the 21st Century.

*Human life histories studied through integration of skeletal biology with archaeological and contextual approaches
*Draws from traditionally distinct sub-disciplines of anthropology
*Multi-disciplinary
*Includes historical, contemporary and future perspective
*Broad array of scholars/scholarship ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent textbook...
As long as you want to study the bioarchaeology of man, it is a good book to use to teach.However, it is not the kind of book that the amature should try to read without a good resource to explain many of the subjects.Works great as a text during paleopathology. ... Read more

Product Description

Written specifically for courses that cover biological anthropology and archaeology, this superbly illustrated new text offers the most balanced and up-to-date introduction to our human past. 

• Devoting equal time to biological anthropology and prehistory, this text exposes students to the many sides of major controversial issues, involving students in the scientific thought process by allowing them to draw their own conclusions. 
• Amidst discussions of bones and artifacts, the text maintains a focus on people, demonstrating to students how biological anthropology and archaeology apply to their lives today.  
• Featuring the latest research and findings pulled from the original sources, this new text is far and away the most up-to-date text available.  In addition, the superior art program features hundreds of photographs and figures, and the multimedia presentation options include documentary film clips and lecture launcher videos.

Pat Rice, a recipient of AAA’s Outstanding Teacher Award and past-president of the General Anthropology Division of AAA, and Norah Moloney, an experienced professor and active archaeologist, present the material in a clear, refreshing, and straightforward writing style.

Product Description
Genes, Culture, and Human Evolution: A Synthesisis a textbook on human evolution that offers students a unique combination of cultural anthropology and genetics.

• Written by two geneticists---including a world-renowned scientist and founder of the Human Genome Diversity Project---and a socio-cultural anthropologist.
  
• Based on recent findings in genetics and anthropology that indicate the analysis of human culture and evolution demands an integration of these fields of study.
  
• Focuses on evolution---or, rather, co-evolution---viewed from the standpoint of genes and culture, and their inescapable interactions.
  
• Unifies cultural and genetic concepts rather than rehashing nonempirical sociobiological musings.
  
• Demonstrates that empirical genetic evidence, based on modern DNA analysis and population studies, provides an excellent foundation for understanding human cultural diversity.

Customer Reviews (2)

Really good book
It's basically a physical anthropology textbook, dealing with genes and various things we can learn from them. It was very enjoyable to read, and easy to understand. You don't need a background in anthropology or biology to understand what it has to say.

Excellent Text on aControversial Subject
This text is basically an anthropology textbook on human evolution that integrates the latest biological and cultural research. It comes from the merger of genetic analysis and cultural anthropology. The authors see a co-evolution of genes with culture that helps to define the organism and the environment in which they live in which both are acting as cause and effect.

Over recent years the field of anthropology, especially at an undergraduate level has become rather standardized with only minor acknowledgement of new fossil finds. This book goes away from that with it's development of two major themes:
1. the substantial and growing contribution of genetics to our understanding of human evolution, and
2. the idea that human evolution has been shaped by the interaction between genes and culture.

This book does an excellent job of stating the co-evolution or dual inheritance theory. Note that there has been critism of this overall theory, especially from the anthropology and linguistics side. ... Read more

Product Description
As the Ice Age waned, Clovis hunter-gatherers began to explore and colonize the area now known as Colorado. Their descendents and later Paleoindian migrants spread throughout Colorado's plains and mountains, adapting to diverse landforms and the changing climate. In this new volume, Robert H. Brunswig and Bonnie L. Pitblado assemble experts in archaeology, paleoecology-climatology, and paleofaunal analysis to share new discoveries about these ancient people of Colorado.

The editors introduce the research with scientific context. A review of seventy-five years of Paleoindian archaeology in Colorado highlights the foundation on which new work builds, and a survey of Colorado's ancient climates and ecologies helps readers understand Paleoindian settlement patterns.

Eight essays discuss archaeological evidence from Plains to high Rocky Mountain sites. The book offers the most thorough analysis to date of Dent--the first Clovis site discovered. Essays on mountain sites show how advances in methodology and technology have allowed scholars to reconstruct settlement patterns and changing lifeways in this challenging environment.

Colorado has been home to key moments in human settlement and in the scientific study of our ancient past. Readers interested in the peopling of the New World as well as those passionate about the methods and history of archaeology will find new material and satisfying overviews in this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Compilation
I am not a professional archaeologist, but I'm an active amateur who attends local meetings and visits digs.There's some pretty technical stuff here, but the findings are so interesting.And I like learning some of the methods archaeologists are using today, as I learn about the results of their studies.I especially liked the chapters on what characteristics of mammoth teeth can tell us about how they lived and even where they lived at different times of the year.I also liked the more "overview" type chapters, both on Colorado Paleoindian archaeology and on the Dent site.This book requires some intellectual investment, but it's worth it.I think archaeology students and professionals will appreciate it too.

Arch Professor
This is a great edited volume, but the intended audience is professional archaeologists more than interested lay people.

The book reports much needed data from the seminal Dent Clovis site, and an interesting collection of papers on work being done at Paleoindian sites in the Rocky Mountains.Some of the papers are quite readable (e.g., Surovell and Waguespack and Pitblado); others focus on subjects that require the use of jargon and only readers conversant in them will be able to follow along (e.g., Fisher).

The historical view of Paleoindian archaeology by the editors is a great stand-alone paper that a professor might assign to a class in North American Archaeology, Peopling of the New World, or the like.This book is an important addition to the shelf of any Paleoindian specialist and all archaeologists working in the west will find it useful.

Not written for the avocational archaeologist or public
This book must have been written as a textbook for students in archaeology, or for self gratification.It certainly is far above the level of interest of the avocational archys out here in the real world.Don't the archaeologists know how to write for the public?Is that taught in your university classes???
This book will be right down your alley if this kind of lingo gets your heart pumping (from page 143):
"For dP4 (DMNH 1895; solid triangles, Figures 4.6b), samples 2-1 and 2-3 are very close to the values they were expected to replicate.Sample 2-2 differs from the value it was expected to replicate, but this probably reflects only an improper amount of graphite, and we interpret sample series 2-(1-3) as (at least approximate) confirmation of the orignal profile.For dP3 (DMNH 1897; solid dots, Figure 4.6c), samples 3-1 and 3-3 are close to other values at similar postions relative to the pulp cavity on this speciman."

On the other hand, there are a few parts of the book (written by many authors) which make sense and leave me with a few new insights as to the way Clovis peoples hunted and lived, and the Mammoth at the Dent site were killed, how they were killed, etc.So of the 370 or so pages of this book, I was able to actually enjoy maybe 1/2.For a price of $60, I fully expected much more.I would recommend you spend your hard earned money on the book Ice Age Peoples of North America by Bonnichsen and Turnmire, which is much more readable and enlightening, not to mention cheaper.
... Read more

Product Description
This book presents a synthesis of the modern approaches to the study of ontogeny and the interpretation of the fossil evidence for human origins. Recent years have seen significant developments in the understanding of the regulation of embryonic pattern formation and skeletal adaptation, and in techniques for the visualizations and analysis of ontogenetic transformations, offering the prospect of understanding the mechanisms underpinning phylogenetic transformation in the skeleton. Advances in developmental biology, molecular genetics, biomechanics, microscopy, imaging and morphometrics are brought to bear on the subject.

Key Features
* Reviews important hot subject areas
* Juxtaposes contributions by developmental biologists and those by evolutionary morphologists
* Makes some bold insights; synthesizes development and evolution ... Read more