Showing posts with label human evolution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label human evolution. Show all posts

Survival of the Fattest: The Key to Human Brain Evolution Review

Survival of the Fattest: The Key to Human Brain Evolution
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Survival of the Fattest: The Key to Human Brain Evolution ReviewThis creative intelligently-designed book on human evolution is by a top fatty acid and nutrition Prof. The topic is timely, for example, U.S. politics are still influenced by the creation versus evolution debate. The book is also timely since modern food refining (and man's unique use of heat) slash the micro-nutrients affecting health and survival of individuals and groups.
The book describes us as the only land mammal with fat-babies and why this 'fatness' gave us an advantage in the (brain) nutrition department.
The book makes the point that "shore-based" foods gave us the micro-nutrients allowing us to build better brains, like one of the fish-based omega-3 oils (vital for brain development and continued brain health). Foods from the water and its shores also provide 5 key minerals (iron, zinc, magnesium, selenium and copper) that many still have difficulty obtaining in adequate amounts, affecting health and survival.
This handsome book is well written and presented. It is not an easy book and full of detail (yet little excess fat), but it is likely to forever change the way we look at our foods and health (and it does have practical data). The concept for health and evolution really comes down to: "It's the Micro-Nutrients, Stupid!" Ignoring this concept comes with great risk, the combined message of evolution and science.
The book is a good re-read with delicious tidbits like the role of copper in the tissue that keeps our arteries intact, my personal interest, and likely a main cause of cardio-vascular disease. Good work with effectively no factual errors and that evolved well before it was born and that should stand the test of time. vos@health-heart.orgSurvival of the Fattest: The Key to Human Brain Evolution OverviewEvolution, in general, depends on a special combination of circumstances: part genetics, part time, and part environment. In the case of human brain evolution, the main environmental influence was adaptation to a 'shore-based' diet, which provided the world's richest source of nutrition, as well as a sedentary lifestyle that promoted fat deposition. Such a diet included shellfish, fish, marsh plants, frogs, bird's eggs, etc. Humans, and more importantly, hominid babies started to get fat, a crucial distinction that led to the development of larger brains and to the evolution of modern humans. A larger brain is expensive to maintain and this increasing demand for energy results in, succintly, survival of the fattest.

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The Rise of Homo sapiens: The Evolution of Modern Thinking Review

The Rise of Homo sapiens: The Evolution of Modern Thinking
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The Rise of Homo sapiens: The Evolution of Modern Thinking ReviewAt last some hints at answers to those human questions: How and, even more interesting, Why did we get to this place in our mental development.
The authors present a very readable, straightforward explanation of hominoid evolution including some very humorous cartoons and asides. The inevitable professional jargon is softened by repeated explanations and a comprehensive glossary. The readability of this material is no small feat due to the complex, interactive nature of the various development trends and the forces driving them. The interpretation of the archeological data by itself is extremely impressive. For example: finding piles of flakes resulting from knapping stone tools and reassembling the flakes to figure out the knapping sequences. They learned a lot by comparing how knapping techniques changed over the last 400,000 years and thinking about the minds required to produce and use those tools.
They describe a development path started by a change from sleeping in trees to sleeping on the ground and include some explanations of sleep characteristics we retain from our tree sleeping times. Some food vs. anatomy trade-offs explain how humans developed bigger brains without being burdened by a much longer digestive tract.
Despite being very conservative with their theories we get a believable story of a very recent (30,000 years ago) change that enhanced our brain's working memory and enabled an executive function that allows us to appreciated what's going on in the mind of another human and make complicated plans for things that haven't happened yet.
Learning about this recent change in our brains, knowing that humans began to domesticate plants and animals just a few thousand years ago and then looking at where we are today makes me wonder about the effect of current evolutionary pressures and where the next little change might take us.
The Rise of Homo sapiens: The Evolution of Modern Thinking Overview

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Evolutionary Psychology: The Science of Human Behavior and Evolution Review

Evolutionary Psychology: The Science of Human Behavior and Evolution
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Evolutionary Psychology: The Science of Human Behavior and Evolution ReviewIt's always nice when the item arrives quickly and in the condition it is reported to be in. Highly recommend this seller.Evolutionary Psychology: The Science of Human Behavior and Evolution OverviewWritten in a lively and engaging manner, this new work places evolutionary psychology within the broad sweep of our primate heritage and the full scope of our evolutionary story. Beginning with the basics of evolution, the book first unpacks the far-ranging saga of human evolution, then moves on to examine motor behavior and emotions, sexual behavior and mate selection, and higher cognition.

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The Human Lineage (Foundation of Human Biology) Review

The Human Lineage (Foundation of Human Biology)
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The Human Lineage (Foundation of Human Biology) Reviewthis is far the best textbook on human evolution currently available on the market. Matt Cartmill's insights into evolutionary mechanisms, mammalian & primate evolution, combined with Fred Smith's vast knowledge of human fossil record make this a very happy intelectual marriage. Further, both are great teachers with years of experience working with students. Although the book is quite detailed and voluminous, don't be scared off by this. The way they use scientific data is to tell a story - it is not ( unlike some other books out there) just another too detailed overview of everything there is. These guys tell us a human story and make sure to guide us along the way. Easy to read and with extensive list of used references. If you're seriously getting into the field of paleoanthropology, treat yourself with this volume. You won't be sorry.The Human Lineage (Foundation of Human Biology) Overview"This textbook, aimed at advanced undergraduates and postgraduates in paleoanthropology courses, tackles a rather difficult task—that of presenting the substantial body of paleontological, genetic, geological and archaeological evidence regarding human evolution, and the associated scientific history, in a logical and readable way without sacrificing either clarity or detail... the sheer quality of the writing and explanatory synthesis in this book will undoubtedly make it a valuable resource for students for many years."—PaleoAnthropology, 2010
This book focuses on the last ten million years of human history, from the hominoid radiations to the emergence and diversification of modern humanity. It draws upon the fossil record to shed light on the key scientific issues, principles, methods, and history in paleoanthropology. The book proceeds through the fossil record of human evolution by historical stages representing the acquisition of major human features that explain the success and distinctive properties of modern Homo sapiens.
Key features:
Provides thorough coverage of the fossil record and sites, with data on key variables such as cranial capacity and body size estimates
Offers a balanced, critical assessment of the interpretative models explaining pattern in the fossil record
Each chapter incorporates a "Blind Alley" box focusing on once prevalent ideas now rejected such as the arboreal theory, seed-eating, single-species hypothesis, and Piltdown man
Promotes critical thinking by students while allowing instructors flexibility in structuring their teaching
Densely illustrated with informative, well-labelled anatomical drawings and photographs
Includes an annotated bibliography for advanced inquiry

Written by established leaders in the field, providing depth of expertise on evolutionary theory and anatomy through to functional morphology, this textbook is essential reading for all advanced undergraduate students and beginning graduate students in biological anthropology.

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Origins: Human Evolution Revealed Review

Origins: Human Evolution Revealed
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Origins: Human Evolution Revealed ReviewOrigins: Human Evolution Revealed is a large format "coffee table" style overview of the current scientific thinking with respect to human evolution. There are many colored photographs, diagrams and maps. A striking reconstruction of Lucy peers out from the dust jacket. Origins is an introduction, aimed at a general audience. The many illustrations make it highly accessible. Nonetheless, the text is not "dumbed down" and packs in considerable information. Origins need not be read as a narrative, in fact each chapter can be read as a "stand alone" and there is some repetition across chapters.
The book is divided into two sections, the first consisting of a series of short (10-15 page) chapters each focusing on a specific early hominid species. Starting with Proconsul africanus (about 18 million years ago) through Australopithecus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, and ultimately Homo sapiens, each chapter describes circumstances surrounding the initial and subsequent finds, the resulting scientific debate and discussion, and our current thinking with respect to where each species fits in the primate evolutionary "bush". Provided are brief sketches of the key scientific figures associated with each species (e.g. - the Leakey's). John Gurche contributed interesting artistic reconstructions of each species' appearance, reflecting current thinking.
The second section focuses on the global migration of Homo sapiens and his predecessors, tracing multiple waves of migration from Africa throughout the world. Separate chapters focus on the dispersion from Africa, and the migrations into Europe, Australasia, and the Americas. There are also chapters on art and tool making. These latter are understandably limited given that they must cover vastly complicated subjects in just a few pages. This section too is well supported with maps and photographs.
I had a few negative impressions: First, the aerial overview maps illustrating key archeological sites were not particularly helpful. Second, as noted above, the sections on art, tool making, and climate change (1 page plus a diagram!) are disappointingly sketchy. Finally, there is no bibliography or suggestions for further reading, something such a lavish overview cries out for. Overall, Origins is a well done introduction to human evolution. Four stars.
Origins: Human Evolution Revealed OverviewScientists believe that every human on the planet is descended from a woman who lived in Africa 100,000 years ago. "Origins" tells the incredible story of homo sapiens - where we came from, why we made it (and why 20 human-like species didn't) and what it means to be 'human' anyway. Part one takes us back through evolution to meet our ancestors. From the ape-like Proconsul who lived in Africa 17 million years ago to Homo floresiensis, the dwarf human species which survived on the Indonesian island of Flores until 18,000 years ago. The most accurate facial reconstructions available bring us up close with these familiar yet alien relatives, and artworks give a compelling insight into their lives - where they lived, what they wore, whether they spoke, what they ate, what animals existed. Graphical timelines untangle the relationships between the different species and highlight our remarkable evolutionary journey. The second part shows how humans spread across the planet to form the diverse races and peoples we know today, from our first steps out of Africa 100,000 years ago to our arrival in New Zealand as recently as 1,000 years ago.

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