CRC Press Exploring the Evolution of our Ancestors: On the Human Track

This is a captivating evolutionary narrative of the human body, exploring the pivotal traits that make humans unique as a species. It provides a better understanding of why we look the way we do, through an evolutionary morphological lens, by delving into the functional explanations for the unique characteristics of us and our ancestors and the evolutionary pathways that shaped them. It integrates changes in anatomy with functional shifts, but also with underlying genetic and environmental transformations that drove our evolution. The main body of the book focuses around four fundamental themes that have evolutionarily sculpted us into who we are today, ever since the shared origin with the chimpanzee: diet, brain, locomotion and skin. This book not only promises to enrich our understanding of human evolution but also challenges us to reconsider what it means to be human in light of our ancient lineage and ongoing evolutionary journey. It also: Provides a complete overview of the major events of human evolution; Helps readers understand why our body has been shaped the way it is; Integrates genes, anatomy, function, behavior and ecology, creating a more complete picture, written in an accessible text while incorporating many facts and figures building upon both historic and recent literature; Offers an up-to-date view of how anthropologists currently see our evolution; Focuses on four fundamental changes in the brain, diet, skin and locomotion; Explains some aspects of what humans are experiencing today (e.g., why some people are lactose intolerant).