Processes Of Ongoing Human Evolution

Excerpt from The Processes of Ongoing Human Evolution A hundred years ago Charles Darwin published his classic explana tion of evolution through natural selection. The work deals with the origin of species, as the title indicates; it is retrospective in outlook, explaining past events; and almost no mention is made of man, except a comment that in the distant 'future light will be thrown on the origin of man and his history. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Additional Contributing Authors Include Arno G. Motulsky, Frederick S. Hulse And Earle L. Reynolds. Six Lectures Delivered At The 59th Annual Meeting Of The American Anthropological Association Held At Mexico City On December 28, 1959.

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*Includes pictures *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading "We must, however, acknowledge...that man with all his noble qualities... still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin." - Charles Darwin Ever since the human mind developed the capacity for thought, people have pondered not just the meaning of life, but the genesis of the world, the universe, and all the natural marvels and precious forms of life within it. To this day, all of these intricate subjects continue to be matters of great contention, and they are often best encapsulated in the debate between creationism and evolution. On the one hand are those who are adamant that it was God, or some other supreme being, that designed and crafted every detail of the universe, as evidenced by the plethora of creation myths from various creeds and traditions. Among one of the most well-known etiological tales is the classic story of the Christian God who constructed the world in 6 days, and man and woman out of clay and man's rib, respectively. This is a concept that many still cling to today; approximately 38% of Americans believed in creationism in 2017, as reported by a Gallup Poll. Then, there are the more obscure narratives, such as the Japanese creation myth, which recounts how the god and goddess, Izanagi and Izanami, birthed from "elements mixed together with one germ of life," shaped the Japanese islands with some mud and the aid of a sacred staff. The Mayans preached about Tepeu, the maker of all things, and Gucumatz, the "feathered spirit," who produced the world with nothing but their thoughts, and placed on Earth the first quartet of humans fashioned out of white and yellow corn. On the other hand are those who believe (or as they would say, "accept") evolution and scientific processes as facts. As enthralling as such creation myths may be, insist critics of creationism, who campaign for their retirement, there is not a sound shred of logic behind these time-worn tales. Renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, arguably one of the most brilliant people to have ever lived, stated, "Before we understand science, it is natural to believe that God created the universe. But now science offers a more convincing explanation." His sentiments are echoed by famous atheist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene: "Today the theory of evolution is about as much open to doubt as the theory that the earth goes round the sun..." "Some claim that evolution is just a theory, as if it were merely an opinion," esteemed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, another leading proponent of evolution, adds. "The theory of evolution - like the theory of gravity - is a scientific fact. Evolution really happened. Accepting our kinship with all life on Earth is not only solid science. In my view, it's also a soaring spiritual experience." Most scientists believe the evolution of humans has a history as long as life itself. Anatomically modern humans and all other life that has existed on the planet first came about from the single-celled microorganisms that emerged approximately 4 billion years ago. Through the processes of mutation and natural selection, all forms of life developed, and this continuous lineage of life makes it difficult to say precisely when one species completely separates from another. In other words, scientists still debate when a human became a human rather than the ancestor species that came before. In order to understand the history of human evolution, an understanding of the mechanisms that essentially "created" modern humans needs to be understood. These processes are natural selection and evolution. Human Evolution: The History of the Evolution and Natural Selection Processes that Gave Rise to Modern Humans examines how humans evolved from microorganisms, and the evolutionary theories that came about in the 19th century to explain it all.

Human Evolution: Processes and Adaptations is designed for introductory courses in biological anthropology. The book develops the theory and methods of the modern evolutionist and, with many clear examples, shows how to apply them to make sense of the biological traits that define our species. Featuring a scientific, issue-oriented perspective on human evolution - how it works, what it can and cannot do, and what it reveals about human nature - this textbook uses engaging analogies to make current research accessible to beginning students. This fourth edition includes new or expanded chapters on fossils and on genetics. More than a mere survey of the requisite topics, this book weaves the threads of natural selection, genetics, adaptation, speciation, classification, fossils, and human behavior into a coherent picture where each element usefully illuminates the others. In an approachable 250 pages, students learn not just the subject matter of biological anthropology, but acquire an evolutionary tool kit they can use to explore any biological question. Use of this tool kit is modeled through analyses that are of topical interest to the students, such as sex and sexuality. Human Evolution is a fresh, stand-alone text with key concepts depicted in more than 90 illustrations, and is designed to stimulate instructors and students alike. Prerecorded video lectures are available for each chapter of the book. Steven J. C. Gaulin earned his Ph.D. in biological anthropology at Harvard University, and is currently a professor in the Integrative Anthropological Sciences Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Gaulin has authored more than 100 scholarly articles, served for a decade as editor-in-chief of Evolution and Human Behavior, and recently won his university's highest teaching award.

It has been suggested that a species comes of age, not when its members have mastered intergalactic travel, but when they understand the reasons for their own existence. Thanks to Darwin, Mendel, and their disciples we can focus a scientific lens on human nature and begin to explain why humans are the way they are. Using readings from a range of professional and popular sources, the anthology "Human Evolution: Processes and Adaptations" develops the theory and methods of the modern evolutionist; then it applies this tool kit in an effort not merely to describe but also to explain the biological traits that define our species. The book links scientific articles with carefully tailored introductions, making cutting-edge research accessible to beginning students. Topics addressed in the book include: Natural Selection, Genetics, and Adaptation; Studying Adaptation; Speciation and Classification; Evolution and Spread of Ancestral Humans; Ecology and Diet: Past and Present; Evolution of Behavior: Altruism, Tool Use, and Language; and Evolution of Sex and Mating Systems. This second edition offers new chapters addressing human variation in an evolutionary context, adaptive radiations, biogeography, the evolution of sex, and the evolution of human mating systems. "Human Evolution: Processes and Adaptations" teaches students that science is not simply a body of knowledge. It is a method for acquiring and refining knowledge. Steven J.C. Gaulin earned his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley, and his Ph.D. at Harvard University. Currently, he is a Professor of Integrative Anthropological Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Gaulin has done field research on voles and non-human primates, and experimental research with both voles and humans. Much of his work focuses on the evolution of sex differences. In addition to 85 scientific articles, Dr. Gaulin co-authored the books "Evolutionary Psychology," and "Why Women Need Fat." He has just completed a ten-year term as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal "Evolution and Human Behavior."