The Paleoanthropology and Archaeology of Big-Game Hunting

The Paleoanthropology and Archaeology of Big-Game Hunting PDF Author: John D. Speth
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1441967338
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 259

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Book Description
Since its inception, paleoanthropology has been closely wedded to the idea that big-game hunting by our hominin ancestors arose, first and foremost, as a means for acquiring energy and vital nutrients. This assumption has rarely been questioned, and seems intuitively obvious—meat is a nutrient-rich food with the ideal array of amino acids, and big animals provide meat in large, convenient packages. Through new research, the author of this volume provides a strong argument that the primary goals of big-game hunting were actually social and political—increasing hunter’s prestige and standing—and that the nutritional component was just an added bonus. Through a comprehensive, interdisciplinary research approach, the author examines the historical and current perceptions of protein as an important nutrient source, the biological impact of a high-protein diet and the evidence of this in the archaeological record, and provides a compelling reexamination of this long-held conclusion. This volume will be of interest to researchers in Archaeology, Evolutionary Biology, and Paleoanthropology, particularly those studying diet and nutrition.

The Paleoanthropology and Archaeology of Big-Game Hunting

The Paleoanthropology and Archaeology of Big-Game Hunting PDF Author: John D. Speth
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1441967338
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 259

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Book Description
Since its inception, paleoanthropology has been closely wedded to the idea that big-game hunting by our hominin ancestors arose, first and foremost, as a means for acquiring energy and vital nutrients. This assumption has rarely been questioned, and seems intuitively obvious—meat is a nutrient-rich food with the ideal array of amino acids, and big animals provide meat in large, convenient packages. Through new research, the author of this volume provides a strong argument that the primary goals of big-game hunting were actually social and political—increasing hunter’s prestige and standing—and that the nutritional component was just an added bonus. Through a comprehensive, interdisciplinary research approach, the author examines the historical and current perceptions of protein as an important nutrient source, the biological impact of a high-protein diet and the evidence of this in the archaeological record, and provides a compelling reexamination of this long-held conclusion. This volume will be of interest to researchers in Archaeology, Evolutionary Biology, and Paleoanthropology, particularly those studying diet and nutrition.

A Companion to Paleoanthropology

A Companion to Paleoanthropology PDF Author: David R. Begun
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118332377
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 593

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Book Description
A Companion to Paleoanthropology presents a compendium of readings from leading scholars in the field that define our current knowledge of the major discoveries and developments in human origins and human evolution, tracing the fossil record from primate and hominid origins to the dispersal of modern humans across the globe. Represents an accessible state-of-the-art summary of the entire field of paleoanthropology, with an overview of hominid taxonomy Features articles on the key discoveries in ape and human evolution, in cranial, postcranial and brain evolution, growth and development Surveys the breadth of the paleontological record from primate origins to modern humans Highlights the unique methods and techniques of paleoanthropology, including dating and ecological methods, and use of living primate date to reconstruct behavior in fossil apes and humans

Handbook of Paleoanthropology

Handbook of Paleoanthropology PDF Author: Winfried Henke
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3540324747
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 2057

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Book Description
This 3-volume handbook brings together contributions by the world ́s leading specialists that reflect the broad spectrum of modern palaeoanthropology, thus presenting an indispensable resource for professionals and students alike. Vol. 1 reviews principles, methods, and approaches, recounting recent advances and state-of-the-art knowledge in phylogenetic analysis, palaeoecology and evolutionary theory and philosophy. Vol. 2 examines primate origins, evolution, behaviour, and adaptive variety, emphasizing integration of fossil data with contemporary knowledge of the behaviour and ecology of living primates in natural environments. Vol. 3 deals with fossil and molecular evidence for the evolution of Homo sapiens and its fossil relatives.

Paleoanthropology of the Balkans and Anatolia

Paleoanthropology of the Balkans and Anatolia PDF Author: Katerina Harvati
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9402408746
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 333

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Book Description
This edited volume systematically reviews the evidence for early human presence in one of the most relevant geographic regions of Europe - the Balkans and Anatolia, an area that has been crucial in shaping the course of human evolution in Europe, but whose paleoanthropological record is poorly known. The primary aim of this book is to showcase new paleoanthropological (human paleontological and paleolithic) research conducted in the region. The volume is organized into three sections. The first one deals with the human fossil record from Greece, the Central Balkans, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. The second section presents the paleolithic record of the same countries. In the third part, the authors provide a synthesis of current paleoenvironmental evidence for the Balkans. Chapters summarize and systematize the available human fossil evidence, examine their context, and place them within the framework of our understanding of human evolution in Europe and beyond, as well as present new analyses of existing human fossils. This book will be of interest to professionals, upper undergraduate and graduate students in paleoanthropology, human paleontology and paleolithic archaeology and in a variety of related fields, including human variation and adaptation, paleontology and biogeography. It will also be appropriate as a reference book for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on human evolution and European paleoanthropology.

Asian Paleoanthropology

Asian Paleoanthropology PDF Author: Christopher J. Norton
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9048190940
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 221

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Book Description
This volume brings together a group of authors that address the question of the first out of Africa into Asia c. 2 Ma. The scope of the book is comprehensive as it covers almost every major region of Asia. The primary goal of this volume is to provide an updated synthesis of the current state of the Asian paleoanthropological and paleoenvironmental records. Papers include detailed studies of the theoretical constructs underlying the move out of Africa, including detailed reconstructions of the paleoenvironment and possible migration routes. Other papers detail the Plio-Pleistocene archaeological and hominin fossil records of particular regions.

Dental Perspectives on Human Evolution

Dental Perspectives on Human Evolution PDF Author: Shara E. Bailey
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402058446
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 419

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Book Description
The objective of the volume is to bring together, in one collection, the most innovative dental anthropological research as it pertains to the study of hominid evolution. In the past few decades both the numbers of hominid dental fossils and the sophistication of the techniques used to analyze them have increased substantially. The book’s contributions focus on dental morphometrics, growth and development, diet and dental evolution.

Paleoanthropology and Paleolithic Archaeology in the People's Republic of China

Paleoanthropology and Paleolithic Archaeology in the People's Republic of China PDF Author: Wu Rukang
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 131542312X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 325

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Book Description
This book represents the first comprehensive attempt to bring to western scholarship the great advances made in Paleolithic archaeology and palaeoanthropology in the People’s Republic of China. The 15 chapters are devoted to a historical overview of past and recent studies, the development of chronological frameworks, the composition and stratigraphy of vertebrate fauna, the pongid and hominid palaeontological records, and Pleistocene prehistoric archaeology. Maps, illustrations and tables illustrate the materials presented here.

The Paleobiology of Australopithecus

The Paleobiology of Australopithecus PDF Author: Kaye E. Reed
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400759193
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 287

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Book Description
Australopithecus species have been the topic of much debate in palaeoanthropology since Raymond Dart described the first species, Australopithecus africanus, in 1925. This volume synthesizes the geological and paleontological context of the species in East and South Africa; covers individual sites, such as Dikika, Hadar, Sterkfontein, and Malapa; debates the alpha taxonomy of some of the species; and addresses questions regarding the movements of the species across the continent. Additional chapters discuss the genus in terms of sexual dimorphism, diet reconstruction using microwear and isotopic methodologies, postural and locomotor behavior, and ontogeny.

Early Evolutionary History of the Synapsida

Early Evolutionary History of the Synapsida PDF Author: Christian F. Kammerer
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400768419
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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Book Description
Non-mammalian synapsids were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates from the Late Carboniferous to the Middle Triassic and play a key role in understanding the origin and evolution of mammals. Despite these facts and the outstanding fossil record of the group, early synapsids remain obscure. This book showcases the full breadth of contemporary research on non-mammalian synapsids, ranging from taxonomy and phylogenetics to functional morphology, biogeography, paleoecology, and patterns of diversity. It also underscores the importance and potential of studying non-mammalian synapsid paleobiology in its own right, not just in the context of mammalian evolution.​

The Creative Spark

The Creative Spark PDF Author: Agustín Fuentes
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101983957
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 354

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Book Description
A bold new synthesis of paleontology, archaeology, genetics, and anthropology that overturns misconceptions about race, war and peace, and human nature itself, answering an age-old question: What made humans so exceptional among all the species on Earth? Creativity. It is the secret of what makes humans special, hiding in plain sight. Agustín Fuentes argues that your child's finger painting comes essentially from the same place as creativity in hunting and gathering millions of years ago, and throughout history in making war and peace, in intimate relationships, in shaping the planet, in our communities, and in all of art, religion, and even science. It requires imagination and collaboration. Every poet has her muse; every engineer, an architect; every politician, a constituency. The manner of the collaborations varies widely, but successful collaboration is inseparable from imagination, and it brought us everything from knives and hot meals to iPhones and interstellar spacecraft. Weaving fascinating stories of our ancient ancestors' creativity, Fuentes finds the patterns that match modern behavior in humans and animals. This key quality has propelled the evolutionary development of our bodies, minds, and cultures, both for good and for bad. It's not the drive to reproduce; nor competition for mates, or resources, or power; nor our propensity for caring for one another that have separated us out from all other creatures. As Fuentes concludes, to make something lasting and useful today you need to understand the nature of your collaboration with others, what imagination can and can't accomplish, and, finally, just how completely our creativity is responsible for the world we live in. Agustín Fuentes's resounding multimillion-year perspective will inspire readers—and spark all kinds of creativity.