An Ape's View of Human Evolution

This book brings together ecology, evolution, genetics, anatomy and geology to provide a new perspective on human evolution from the apes' viewpoint.

Peter Andrews (Author)

9781107100671, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 7 January 2016

328 pages, 110 b/w illus. 5 colour illus. 4 tables
25.2 x 18 x 2 cm, 0.79 kg

'It is clearly written in textbook style, with just the right amount of background to set the stage, just the right amount of detail to keep readers engaged, and useful summaries at the end of each chapter. It is a reflection of a great scientist's career. I am enthusiastic in my recommendation of this volume to all who wish to learn more about ape evolution and human origins.' David R. Begun, The Quarterly Review of Biology

Our closest living relatives are the chimpanzee and bonobo. We share many characteristics with them, but our lineages diverged millions of years ago. Who in fact was our last common ancestor? Bringing together ecology, evolution, genetics, anatomy and geology, this book provides a new perspective on human evolution. What can fossil apes tell us about the origins of human evolution? Did the last common ancestor of apes and humans live in trees or on the ground? What did it eat, and how did it survive in a world full of large predators? Did it look anything like living apes? Andrews addresses these questions and more to reconstruct the common ancestor and its habitat. Synthesising thirty-five years of work on both ancient environments and fossil and modern ape anatomy, this book provides unique new insights into the evolutionary processes that led to the origins of the human lineage.

Preface
1. How can we recognise common ancestors?
Part I. Apes – Their Morphology and Behaviour: 2. Morphology and behaviour of living apes
3. Human and ape phylogenies
4. Review of fossil apes
Part II. Environments and Palaeoenvironments: 5. Structure and composition of ape environments
6. Environmental indicators
Part III. Review of Fossil Apes - Morphology and Environment: 7. The view from the Early Miocene
8. The environment in the Early Miocene
9. The view from the Middle Miocene
10. Specialised apes from the Middle Miocene
11. The environment in the middle Miocene
12. A second view from Europe
13. The environment in Europe
14. Late Miocene to Pleistocene apes
15. Apes, hominins and environment in the Late Miocene
Part IV. Last Common Ancestor: 16. Putting together the evidence
17. An ape's view of human evolution
References and further reading
Index.

Subject Areas: Palaeontology [RBX], Evolution [PSAJ], Anthropology [JHM]