African Genesis Perspectives on Hominin Evolution [Paperback]

This book reviews key themes and developments in palaeoanthropology, exploring their impact on our understanding of human origins in Africa.Exploring developments in palaeoanthropology since the discovery of Australopithecus africanus in 1925, this book is a valuable companion for students and researchers of human origins. It covers a range of key themes, from the earliest hominin fossils, to the origins of bipedalism and the evolution and dispersal of modern humans.Exploring developments in palaeoanthropology since the discovery of Australopithecus africanus in 1925, this book is a valuable companion for students and researchers of human origins. It covers a range of key themes, from the earliest hominin fossils, to the origins of bipedalism and the evolution and dispersal of modern humans.The discovery of the first species of African hominin, Australopithecus africanus, from Taung, South Africa in 1924, launched the study of fossil man in Africa. New discoveries continue to confirm the importance of this region to our understanding of human evolution. Outlining major developments since Raymond Dart's description of the Taung skull and, in particular, the impact of the pioneering work of Phillip V. Tobias, this book will be a valuable companion for students and researchers of human origins. It presents a summary of the current state of palaeoanthropology, reviewing the ideas that are central to the field, and provides a perspective on how future developments will shape our knowledge about hominin emergence in Africa. A wide range of key themes are covered, from the earliest fossils from Chad and Kenya, to the origins of bipedalism and the debate about how and where modern humans evolved and dispersed across Africa.List of contributors; Foreword J. T. Francis Thackeray; 1. African genesis: an evolving paradigm Sally C. Reynolds; 2. Academic genealogy Peter Ungar and Phillip V. Tobias; Part I. In Search of Origins: Evolutionary Theory, New Species, and Paths into thelã$