theory of human origins, presenting the controversial ""multiregional"" model of human evolution and racial differences that finds evidence in fossil remains. 17,500 first printing.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
From Amazon
There are two widely held scientific theories concerning the origin of the human species. One posits a single cradle, generally thought to be in Africa, in which Homo sapiens originated. This dominant theory is assisted by its charismatic spokesmodel Eve, a fictitious personification of a DNA strain that some scientists argue indicates a unique source for the Earth's human population. The other, decidedly less popular theory is known as multiregionalism. Multiregionalists argue that populations may have originated in Africa, but these populations migrated to distant regions where the human species developed and took on different characteristics, known to scientists as biological diversity but more conventionally referred to as different races. This divide is obviously controversial, and it is not always the steady eye of science that influences which model is deemed correct (or at least politically correct). After all, one model promises a scientific verification of our common humanity, the other, interpreted too loosely, could result in a scientific rationale that hardens concepts of racial difference.
Anthropological researchers (and husband and wife) Milford Wolpoff and Rachel Caspari have written Race and Human Evolution as an accessible introduction to the debates over the origins of the human species that makes a careful and detailed case for multiregionalism. Much of the authors' effort is directed at separating their scientifically sound position from the racist legacy of earlier theories of polygenism, which argued that races were genetically isolated. They also mount compelling arguments that the "single source of humanity" camp has succeeded thanks to good marketing rather than hard or conclusive data. Their book proves not only an interesting introduction to anthropological debates, it also reflects the way a scientific thesis is formulated, developed, and defended in the media-savvy late 20th century.
From Publishers Weekly
This uneven volume from University of Michigan anthropologists Wolpoff and Caspari defends Wolpoff's theory that human evolution resulted from long-term "multiregional evolution" rather than via a relatively recent descent from a single "Eve" in Africa. The authors largely base their case on the fossil record, which contains evidence that, they contend, doesn't jibe with the Eve theory, which was derived primarily through DNA analysis by molecular biologists. Their argument is well-reasoned but some of the basic concepts, including that of multiregional evolution, could use a clearer explication. Technical material abounds, much of it likely to prove difficult for the general reader. And, while Wolpoff receives top authorial billing, the text is presented mostly in the first-person singular from Caspari's perspective, an intrusive stylistic device. There's much to ponder here, though, and the middle chapters, which place paleoanthropology in a historical and political context, are sound and informative. Illustrations.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Format:Hardcover
This book is a rehash of previous statements and out-dated concepts. As one reviewer has already noted, the molecular data and its interpretation (both mtDNA and RNA) makes this book redundant. Also the discussion of the fossil evidence fails to examine issues of function and developmental processes, which can have a significant impact on morphological form. As such, their implied 'evolutionary trends' within and between hominin groups are just as likley the result of convergence - anatomical analogies (i.e., homoplasies)
The dedication says it all:
"To Franz Weidenreich. He understood"
oh, to be a voice in the wilderness....
Format:Hardcover
The evidence from mitochondrial DNA has completely blown this book out of the water. The mtDNA clearly shows us modern homo sapiens emerging in Africa 150,000 years ago and then spreading all over the globe. See Cavalli-Sforza's "The Great Human Diasporas" and Brian Sykes' "The Seven Daughters of Eve."
Science marches on.
Science marches on.
Format:Hardcover
The debate between multiregional evolution vs. the replacement model continues unabated, and naturally, not without certain biases muddling the understanding of the interested lay-reader. Wolpoff and Caspari do an excellent job of presenting the historical foundations for the intellectual biases AND the over-simplified misunderstandings of multiregional evolution perpetuated by the popular media which are responsible for the ongoing confusion regarding this debate. Human evolution is NOT a simple matter easily reduced to one or two easy-to-manage ideas. The replacement model is well addressed in the text and is shown to be easier to comprehend than the multiregional model, which explains the media's favoratism for the former. The technical information provided favoring both views is carefully presented and explained, and the reader is left with the task of making up his/her own mind. An approach of which I approve. Balancing this text with those of Dr. C. Stringer and Prof. Rushton (another review on this site) is recommended for even treatment. Were I teaching a course in paleoanthroplogy, I would certainly make Wolpoff & Caspari's book required reading.
Want to see more reviews on this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 8 reviews
3.5 out of 5 stars
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Anthropology > Evolution
- Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Anthropology > Physical
- Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Evolution
- Books > Science & Math > Behavioural Sciences
- Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Biology
- Books > Science & Math > Evolution > Organic
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
