An Introduction To Human Evolutionary Anatomy

An anthropologist and an anatomist have combined their skills in this book to provide students and research workers with the essentials of anatomy and the means to apply these to investigations into hominid form and function. Using basic principles and relevant bones, conclusions can be reached regarding the probable musculature, stance, brain size, age, weight, and sex of a particular fossil specimen. The sort of deductions which are possible are illustrated by reference back to contemporary apes and humans, and a coherent picture of the history of hominid evolution appears. Written in a clear and concise style and beautifully illustrated, An Introduction to Human Evolutionary Anatomy is a basic reference for all concerned with human evolution as well as a valuable companion to both laboratory practical sessions and new research using fossil skeletons.

Exhaustively researched and years in the making, this innovative book documents how the many components of the head function, how they evolved since we diverged from the apes, and how they interact in diverse ways both functionally and developmentally, causing them to be highly integrated. This integration not only permits the head's many units to accommodate each other as they grow and work, but also facilitates evolutionary change. Lieberman shows how, when, and why the major transformations evident in the evolution of the human head occurred. The special way the head is integrated, Lieberman argues, made it possible for a few developmental shifts to have had widespread effects on craniofacial growth, yet still permit the head to function exquisitely. --

Mr. Olsen wrote this book on human anatomy from an evolutionary perspective for college undergraduates with no previous college-level math or science. It contains an introduction to the nature of science and biological evolution in addition to a clear and comprehensive description of basic human anatomy. With over one hundred references, a detailed index, and more than 40 black-and-white illustrations and tables, this book is the perfect supplement to a standard anatomical atlas or textbook with color illustrations.

Principles of Human Evolution presents an in-depthintroduction to paleoanthropology and the study of human evolution.Focusing on the fundamentals of evolutionary theory and how theseapply to ecological, molecular genetic, paleontological andarcheological approaches to important questions in the field, thistimely textbook will help students gain a perspective on humanevolution in the context of modern biological thinking. The second edition of this successful text features the additionof Robert Foley, a leading researcher in Human EvolutionaryStudies, to the writing team. Strong emphasis on evolutionarytheory, ecology and behavior and scores of new examples reflect thelatest evolutionary theories and recent archaeological finds. Morethan a simple update, the new edition is organized by issue ratherthan chronology, integrating behavior, adaptation and anatomy. Anew design and new figure references make this edition moreaccessible for students and instructors. New author, Robert Foley – leading figure in HumanEvolutionary Studies – joins the writing team. Dedicated website – www.blackwellpublishing.com/lewin– provides study resources and artwork downloadable forPowerpoint presentations. Beyond the Facts boxes – explore key scientific debatesin greater depth. Margin Comments – indicate the key points in eachsection. Key Questions – review and test students’ knowledgeof central chapter concepts and help focus the way a studentapproaches reading the text. New emphasis on ecological and behavioral evolution – inkeeping with modern research. Fully up to date with recent fossil finds and interpretations;integration of genetic and paleoanthropological approaches.

This book challenges the assumption that morphological data are inherently unsuitable for phylogeny reconstruction, argues that both molecular and morphological phylogenies should play a major role in systematics, and provides the most comprehensive review of the comparative anatomy, homologies and evolution of the head, neck, pectoral and upper limb muscles of primates. Chapters 1 and 2 provide an introduction to the main aims and methodology of the book. Chapters 3 and 4 and Appendices I and II present the data obtained from dissections of the head, neck, pectoral and upper limb muscles of representative members of all the major primate groups including modern humans, and compare these data with the information available in the literature. Appendices I and II provide detailed textual (attachments, innervation, function, variations and synonyms) and visual (high quality photographs) information about each muscle for the primate taxa included in the cladistic study of Chapter 3, thus providing the first comprehensive and up to date overview of the comparative anatomy of the head, neck, pectoral and upper limb muscles of primates. The most parsimonious tree obtained from the cladistic analysis of 166 head, neck, pectoral and upper limb muscle characters in 18 primate genera, and in representatives of the Scandentia, Dermoptera and Rodentia, is fully congruent with the evolutionary molecular tree of Primates, thus supporting the idea that muscle characters are particularly useful to infer phylogenies. The combined anatomical materials provided in this book point out that modern humans have fewer head, neck, pectoral and upper limb muscles than most other living primates, but are consistent with the proposal that facial and vocal communication and specialized thumb movements have probably played an important role in recent human evolution. This book will be of interest to primatologists, comparative anatomists, functional morphologists, zoologists, physical anthropologists, and systematicians, as well as to medical students, physicians and researchers interested in understanding the origin, evolution, homology and variations of the muscles of modern humans. Contains 132 color plates.

Understanding Human Anatomy and Pathology: An Evolutionary and Developmental Guide for Medical Students provides medical students with a much easier and more comprehensive way to learn and understand human gross anatomy by combining state-of-the-art knowledge about human anatomy, evolution, development, and pathology in one book. The book adds evolutionary, pathological, and developmental information in a way that reduces the difficulty and total time spent learning gross anatomy by making learning more logical and systematic. It also synthesizes data that would normally be available for students only by consulting several books at a time. Anatomical illustrations are carefully selected to follow the style of those seen in human anatomical atlases but are simpler in their overall configuration, making them easier to understand without overwhelming students with visual information. The book’s organization is also more versatile than most human anatomy texts so that students can refer to different sections according to their own learning styles. Because it is relatively short in length and easily transportable, students can take this invaluable book anywhere and use it to understand most of the structures they need to learn for any gross anatomy course.

A vast subject that includes a strange vocabulary and an apparent mass of facts, human anatomy can at first appear confusing and off-putting. But the basic construction of the human body - the skeleton, the organs of the chest and abdomen, the nervous system, the head and neck with its sensory systems and anatomy for breathing and swallowing - is vital for anyone studying medicine, biology, and health studies. In this Very Short Introduction Leslie Klenerman provides a clear, concise, and accessible introduction to the structure, function, and main systems of the human body, including a number of clear and simple illustrations to explain the key areas. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.