Why aren't we more like other apes? How did we win the evolutionary race? Find out how "wise" Homo sapiens really are.Prehistory has never been more exciting: New discoveries are overturning long-held theories left and right. Stone tools in Australia date back 65,000 years—a time when, we once thought, the first Sapiens had barely left Africa. DNA sequencing has unearthed a new hominid group—the Denisovans—and confirmed that crossbreeding with them (and Ne...

Come face-to-face with Denisovans, the newly identified “third man” on Homo sapiens’ family tree—and how their miraculous discovery is rewriting the human storyIn 2010, archaeologists working in Denisova Cave, Siberia, unearthed a tiny fragment of finger bone—and brought a lost human species to light. Thanks to the modern miracle of DNA analysis, “Denisovans” quickly took their place—alongside Neanderthals—as our closest cousins.Since then, emergin...

Since the Western world first became aware of the existence of Neanderthals, this Pleistocene human has been a regular focus of interest among specialists and also among the general public. In fact, we know far more about Neanderthals than we do about any other extinct human population. Furthermore, over the past 150 years no other palaeospecies has been such a constant source of discussion and fierce debate among palaeoanthropologists and archaeologists. This book presents the status of o...

The first book for a general audience to chronicle the epic story of the Denisovans, ancient cousins to Sapiens and Neanderthals, who left traces of their DNA in modern-day humansIn December 2010, scientists discovered a fragment of a finger bone in an isolated cave in Siberia. To their surprise, the bone contained neither Homo sapiens nor Neanderthal DNA. The DNA came from a previously unknown species of hominids―the Denisovans―who shared a commo...

Why aren't we more like other apes? How did we win the evolutionary race? Find out how "wise" Homo sapiens really are.Prehistory has never been more exciting: New discoveries are overturning long-held theories left and right. Stone tools in Australia date back 65,000 years—a time when, we once thought, the first Sapiens had barely left Africa. DNA sequencing has unearthed a new hominid group—the Denisovans—and confirmed that crossbreeding with them (and Ne...

Can we do better in space than we've done here on Earth?We've pinpointed the destination, refined the technology, designed the habitat. Are we forgetting something? A timely reminder that it's not just rocket science, this book explores the all-too-human issues raised by the prospect of settling in outer space. Accordingly, her work highlights the complex ethical challenges that accompany any other-worldly venture—questions about the environment, labor rig...

A top researcher proposes a controversial new theory of human evolution in a book "combining the thrill of a novel with a remarkable depth of perspective" ( Nature).In this groundbreaking and engaging work of science, world-renowned paleoanthropologist Chris Stringer sets out a new theory of humanity's origin, challenging both the multiregionalists (who hold that modern humans developed from ancient ancestors in different parts of the world) and his own "ou...

Discover why insects look and behave the way they do in this fully illustrated field guide to the world's most adaptable animals.Still going strong after five mass extinctions, insects may be the most successful land animals ever. They have evolved a spectacular array of real-life superpowers to help them thrive in virtually every environment on the planet. Filled with fascinating photography and in-depth information, this volume explains why insects are even more a...

'The who, what, where, when and how of human evolution, from one of the world's experts on the dating of prehistoric fossils' Steve Brusatte, author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs'Fascinating and entertaining. If you read one book on human origins, this should be it' Ian Morris, author of Why the West Rules - For Now50,000 years ago, we were not the only species of human in the world. There were at ...

"The who, what, where, when and how of human evolution, from one of the world's experts on the dating of prehistoric fossils." —Steve Brusatte, New York Times –bestselling authorA fascinating investigation of the origin of humans based on incredible new discoveries and advanced scientific technology.Fifty thousand years ago, Homo sapiens was not the only species of humans in the world. There were also Nea...

The Mesozoic or Secondary Era, extends for a period ranging from 251 to 65 million years ago. Also called as the Age of Reptiles, derives its name from the greek mesos, "middle", because it was placed in between the ancient (Paleozoic) and recent (Cenozoic) where he witnessed a veritable explosion in the number of living species and formed the majority of sedimentary rocks.

Knowledge of ancestral species and of the places in which humans evolved provides context for an understanding of human genetic and evolutionary relationships with other species. Knowing how early humans survived and how they used available resources offers insight into human instinct and behavior. Readers are treated to a general overview of evolution, Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, and an introduction to the relevant fossil record. They will also consider the likely beginnings of ...