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The Last Neanderthal: The Rise, Success, And Mysterious Extinction Of Our Closest Human Relatives
 
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The Last Neanderthal: The Rise, Success, And Mysterious Extinction Of Our Closest Human Relatives [Paperback]

Ian Tattersall (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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Tattersall, a polished presenter of paleoanthropology (The Fossil Trail ), turns this album toward a specific vexation of the field: the relation of our species to the Neanderthals. Do they constitute lineal ancestors or a separate evolutionary branch? Were they exterminated or absorbed by humans about 30,000 years ago? Interpretations of the evidence excite strenuous debate among the experts, as chronicled in James Shreeve's The Neandertal Enigma , so what's a curious amateur to make of the brouhaha? That's where Tattersall (also a museum curator) excels as he conveys the essentials of the technical literature to the public. These consist of methods by which Neanderthal sites are dated, what inferences may be drawn from the fossils' anatomy, and for background, a narrative of current knowledge about the hominid line. Abundant full-page photos of specimens and archaeological digs cement Tattersall's clarity on the topic, making this an immeasurable aid to students and armchair anthropologists alike. Gilbert Taylor --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

Scientists have long known that the popular image of the Neanderthal as a primitive, hairy, heavily browed, club-wielding brute is not supported by the fossil evidence. But to date, no such consensus has existed on the riddle of Neanderthals’ disappearance. The Last Neanderthal, written by one of the most respected authorities on the subject and supported by a dazzling wealth of material, paints the first full portrait of the most familiar and haunting of human relatives. Drawing on the latest findings and sophisticated new techniques of analysis, Ian Tattersall marshals the best available evidence to unravel the mysteries of the Neanderthals - who they were, how they lived, how they succeeded for so long. Drawing on his own research and the work of others, Tattersall takes on the most fascinating question of all - what happened to them? This revised edition is fully updated to include information on Tattersall’s recent survey of all known Neanderthal fossils, cutting-edge work with Neanderthal DNA, and new discoveries in Spain.
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10 Reviews
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4.6 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Illustrations, Clear Concepts, Outstanding Text, Dec 13 2003
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This review is from: The Last Neanderthal: The Rise, Success, and Mysterious Extinction of Our Closest Human Relatives (Hardcover)
I'm not a reader who usually pays too much attention to photos and illustrations, but I could recommend "The Last Neanderthal" on that basis alone. There are nearly 150 of them in this 200-page book, some covering an entire page in my oversized edition. Almost all of them are superb. The illustrations are mostly of various fossilized bones and reconstructions. They are not haphazardly thrown throughout the book or tightly grouped in the middle, but introduced when appropriate for the text.

Ian Tattersall's set-up of what is known about Neanderthals is masterful. Most of the first third of the book is about evolution, how fossilization works, and a brief description about what is known of the precursors to both Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens. Tattersall is clearly at home with this material and confident in his presentation of it. He takes his time in this area - even though it has little to directly do with the topic of his book - because one cannot understand Neanderthals unless one has some understanding of other pre-modern humans and the scientific techniques used to understand them.

The set-up is not wasted on a flat ending. When Tattersall finally gets to the Neanderthals, he maintains a high level of interest for the reader by first showing how the scholarly views on Neanderthals have changed so much over the last hundred-fifty years (much more fascinating than it sounds) and then by moving into areas about its evolution and what is known about its lifestyle. He appears to be a fair partisan, pointing out evidence both for and against different sides of the numerous controversial topics on Neanderthals.

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4.0 out of 5 stars great intro to current thoughts on neanderthals, Dec 8 2003
This review is from: The Last Neanderthal: The Rise, Success, And Mysterious Extinction Of Our Closest Human Relatives (Paperback)
This book was my entry into current theory on neanderthal man and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Very well written, it covered most if not all of my basic questions. The author's biases are clear yet he is seemingly forthwright about opposing views. The language he uses betrays the complexities of conjecture and theory behind many finds, rather than simply laying things out as 'fact'. Many excellent photographs, paintings, etc...
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5.0 out of 5 stars the last neanderthal, Nov 19 2002
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Stephen Angelique (bourne, ma USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Last Neanderthal: The Rise, Success, And Mysterious Extinction Of Our Closest Human Relatives (Paperback)
Tattersall's book is a must have. It covers all the basics in a compelling style and with particular focus on site locations. The photos and illustrations are as good as those of any "coffee table" book. It is too light on some particular aspects concerning extinction, e.g. hybridization, pelvic ring size, birth/death ratios, and exotic disease resistance, but is superior in descriptions of Neanderthal morphology and environment.
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