The First Human

Author : Ann Gibbons
Publisher : Anchor
ISBN 13 : 0307279820
Total Pages : 338 pages
Book Rating : 4.28/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The First Human written by Ann Gibbons and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2007-04-10 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this dynamic account, award-winning science writer Ann Gibbons chronicles an extraordinary quest to answer the most primal of questions: When and where was the dawn of humankind?Following four intensely competitive international teams of scientists in a heated race to find the “missing link”–the fossil of the earliest human ancestor–Gibbons ventures to Africa, where she encounters a fascinating array of fossil hunters: Tim White, the irreverent Californian who discovered the partial skeleton of a primate that lived 4.4 million years ago in Ethiopia; French paleontologist Michel Brunet, who uncovers a skull in Chad that could date the beginnings of humankind to seven million years ago; and two other groups–one led by zoologist Meave Leakey, the other by British geologist Martin Pickford and his French paleontologist partner, Brigitte Senut–who enter the race with landmark discoveries of their own. Through scrupulous research and vivid first-person reporting, The First Human reveals the perils and the promises of fossil hunting on a grand competitive scale.

Author : Ann Gibbons
Publisher : Anchor
ISBN 13 : 140007696X
Total Pages : 338 pages
Book Rating : 4.63/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The First Human written by Ann Gibbons and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2007-04-10 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this dynamic account, award-winning science writer Ann Gibbons chronicles an extraordinary quest to answer the most primal of questions: When and where was the dawn of humankind?Following four intensely competitive international teams of scientists in a heated race to find the “missing link”–the fossil of the earliest human ancestor–Gibbons ventures to Africa, where she encounters a fascinating array of fossil hunters: Tim White, the irreverent Californian who discovered the partial skeleton of a primate that lived 4.4 million years ago in Ethiopia; French paleontologist Michel Brunet, who uncovers a skull in Chad that could date the beginnings of humankind to seven million years ago; and two other groups–one led by zoologist Meave Leakey, the other by British geologist Martin Pickford and his French paleontologist partner, Brigitte Senut–who enter the race with landmark discoveries of their own. Through scrupulous research and vivid first-person reporting, The First Human reveals the perils and the promises of fossil hunting on a grand competitive scale.

Author : John Glad
Publisher : Future Human Evolution
ISBN 13 : 1557791546
Total Pages : 182 pages
Book Rating : 4.42/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Future Human Evolution written by John Glad and published by Future Human Evolution. This book was released on 2006 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evolutionary selection has been radically relaxed in the human species as a result of the development of civilization, science in general, and medicine in particular. While these advances have hugely benefited current populations, they have to a significant degree released the species from the biological process which created it and maintains its viability. Formerly, natural selection took place largely as a result of differential mortality, but now that most people survive well beyond their child bearing years, selection is determined largely by differential fertility. Aside from genetic illnesses, this new selection is also characterized by a negative correlation between fertility and intelligencethe core of eugenic concern for over a century. Eugenics views itself as the fourth leg of the chair of civilization, the other three being a) a thrifty expenditure of natural resources, b) mitigation of environmental pollution, and c) maintenance of a human population not exceeding the planets carrying capacity. Eugenics, which can be thought of as human ecology, is thus part and parcel of the environmental movement. Humanity is defined, not as the totality of the currently living population, but as the number of people who will potentially ever live. This is a book about the struggle for human rights and parental responsibility.

Author : Jeremy DeSilva
Publisher : HarperCollins
ISBN 13 : 0062938517
Total Pages : 389 pages
Book Rating : 4.10/5 ( download)

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Download or read book First Steps written by Jeremy DeSilva and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2021-04-06 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the W.W. Howells Book Prize from the American Anthropological Association and named one of the best science books of 2021 by Science News “DeSilva takes us on a brilliant, fun, and scientifically deep stroll through history, anatomy, and evolution, in order to illustrate the powerful story of how a particular mode of movement helped make us one of the most wonderful, dangerous and fascinating species on Earth.”—Agustín Fuentes, Professor of Anthropology, Princeton University and author of Why We Believe: Evolution and the Human Way of Being “Breezy popular science at its best. . . . Makes a compelling case overall.”—Science News Blending history, science, and culture, a stunning and highly engaging evolutionary story exploring how walking on two legs allowed humans to become the planet’s dominant species. Humans are the only mammals to walk on two, rather than four legs—a locomotion known as bipedalism. We strive to be upstanding citizens, honor those who stand tall and proud, and take a stand against injustices. We follow in each other’s footsteps and celebrate a child’s beginning to walk. But why, and how, exactly, did we take our first steps? And at what cost? Bipedalism has its drawbacks: giving birth is more difficult and dangerous; our running speed is much slower than other animals; and we suffer a variety of ailments, from hernias to sinus problems. In First Steps, paleoanthropologist Jeremy DeSilva explores how unusual and extraordinary this seemingly ordinary ability is. A seven-million-year journey to the very origins of the human lineage, First Steps shows how upright walking was a gateway to many of the other attributes that make us human—from our technological abilities, our thirst for exploration, our use of language–and may have laid the foundation for our species’ traits of compassion, empathy, and altruism. Moving from developmental psychology labs to ancient fossil sites throughout Africa and Eurasia, DeSilva brings to life our adventure walking on two legs. Delving deeply into the story of our past and the new discoveries rewriting our understanding of human evolution, First Steps examines how walking upright helped us rise above all over species on this planet. First Steps includes an eight-page color photo insert.

Author : The Diagram Group
Publisher : Infobase Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1438122411
Total Pages : 113 pages
Book Rating : 4.10/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Life on Earth written by The Diagram Group and published by Infobase Publishing. This book was released on 2004 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide to the earliest humans, including what defines a human, how humans developed over time, what prehistoric humans' daily lives were like, and how scientists have learned about them.

Author : National Academy of Sciences
Publisher : Sackler Colloquium
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 388 pages
Book Rating : 4.99/5 ( download)

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Download or read book In the Light of Evolution written by National Academy of Sciences and published by Sackler Colloquium. This book was released on 2007 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia of the National Academy of Sciences address scientific topics of broad and current interest, cutting across the boundaries of traditional disciplines. Each year, four or five such colloquia are scheduled, typically two days in length and international in scope. Colloquia are organized by a member of the Academy, often with the assistance of an organizing committee, and feature presentations by leading scientists in the field and discussions with a hundred or more researchers with an interest in the topic. Colloquia presentations are recorded and posted on the National Academy of Sciences Sackler colloquia website and published on CD-ROM. These Colloquia are made possible by a generous gift from Mrs. Jill Sackler, in memory of her husband, Arthur M. Sackler.

Author : Yuval Noah Harari
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0062316109
Total Pages : 402 pages
Book Rating : 4.03/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Sapiens written by Yuval Noah Harari and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2015-02-10 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times Bestseller A Summer Reading Pick for President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.” One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas. Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become? Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem.

Author : Norbert Kraft
Publisher : BenBella Books, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1940363934
Total Pages : 299 pages
Book Rating : 4.36/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Mars One: Humanity's Next Great Adventure written by Norbert Kraft and published by BenBella Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2016-02-23 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human curiosity has led us to explore our solar system, landing on the moon and sending spacecraft to study distant planetary objects. The next step in our great adventure is putting humans on Mars, but what will it really take to achieve this? In 2011, Mars One announced its intentions to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars beginning as early as 2024; in 2013 it launched its astronaut-selection program and received thousands of applications. The highly anticipated Mars One documentary series will provide a window into the captivating details of the crew selection and training process, allowing the whole world to follow along as Mars' first settlers prepare for their mission. Now, with Mars One: Humanity's Next Great Adventure, you can step even further inside the experience of these astronaut pioneers and explore the various human dimensions of Mars One's planned expeditions. Edited by Norbert Kraft, MD, Mars One's Chief Medical Officer and head of crew selection and training, as well as crew selection and training committee members James R. Kass, PhD, and Raye Kass, PhD, this collection of essays from scientists, psychologists, and more provides a behind-the-scenes look at the process and criteria used to choose candidates, fascinating details about what they'll learn, and predictions about their future lives on Mars. Inside, you'll find in-depth discussions of: The essential skills and training the Mars One astronauts will need to journey to and then survive on Mars, from technical and medical know-how to the interpersonal skills necessary for working in confined quarters so far from home The challenges of going through the selection and training process while being watched by millions around the world, and what Mars One hopes watching the process will mean for viewers at home Inside information, including images, on the planned Mars One habitats and colonization timeline What settlers can expect on Mars, from daily work activities in a hostile environment to communication with Earth and options for leisure time The book also includes excerpts from candidate questionnaires, allowing readers to enter the minds of prospective Martians like never before.

Author : Donald M. Silver
Publisher : Courier Corporation
ISBN 13 : 0486468216
Total Pages : 34 pages
Book Rating : 4.11/5 ( download)

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Download or read book My First Human Body Book written by Donald M. Silver and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 2009-01-19 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here's the most entertaining way for children to get a good look at the human body and learn how bodies work: 28 fun and instructive, ready-to-color illustrations. Coordinating text explores the muscular, skeletal, nervous, digestive, respiratory, and immune systems, and answers such questions as What is a hiccup? and Where is my DNA?

Author : Frederick E. Grine
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 1402099800
Total Pages : 220 pages
Book Rating : 4.09/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The First Humans written by Frederick E. Grine and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-05-24 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are some issues in human paleontology that seem to be timeless. Most deal with the origin and early evolution of our own genus – something about which we should care. Some of these issues pertain to taxonomy and systematics. How many species of Homo were there in the Pliocene and Pleistocene? How do we identify the earliest members the genus Homo? If there is more than one Plio-Pleistocene species, how do they relate to one another, and where and when did they evolve? Other issues relate to questions about body size, proportions and the functional adaptations of the locomotor skeleton. When did the human postcranial “Bauplan” evolve, and for what reasons? What behaviors (and what behavioral limitations) can be inferred from the postcranial bones that have been attributed to Homo habilis and Homo erectus? Still other issues relate to growth, development and life history strategies, and the biological and archeological evidence for diet and behavior in early Homo. It is often argued that dietary change played an important role in the origin and early evolution of our genus, with stone tools opening up scavenging and hunting opportunities that would have added meat protein to the diet of Homo. Still other issues relate to the environmental and climatic context in which this genus evolved.