Debating Humankind's Place in Nature, 1860-2000

The Nature of Paleoanthropology

Richard G. Delisle, Richard Delisle

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN:
  9780131773905
• eBook ISBN:
  9781317348887
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Science History
• Index: Social Sciences

This text, the only one of its kind on the market, surveys the development of the field of human evolution from its inception through today. It provides students with a broad contrast enabling them to fully understand the value and role of current paleoanthropological research.

Features:

• An historical approach - Establishes for students the nature of paleoanthropology through the historical development of the field from 1860 through 2000 and shows students that paleoanthropology is a remarkably progressive field..
• A focus on the debates in the field of human evolution (especially the phylogenetic or genealogical debates)–
• Analyzes four distinct debates, presented separately from their inception to the present: 1) Humankind's place among the primates; 2) The place of the australopithecines relative to the human line; 3) Debates on human phylogeny proper; 4) Proposed scenarios of hominization.
• Presentation and analysis of the viewpoints of over 150 scholars - Gives students a valuable reference work for the future (includes over 1200 references in the bibliography) as well as a comprehensive text for today.

For junior/senior courses in Human Evolution and Paleoanthropology in Anthropology departments.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures
• Acknowledgments
• Paleoanthropology: A View from the Trenches
• Illustrations
• 1 The History of Paleoanthropology
• Part I A Synthesis of Approaches to Human Evolution, 1860–1890
• Part II Competing Approaches to Human Evolution, 1890–1935
• Part III Toward the Modern Research Structure in Paleoanthropology, 1935–2000
• History Is Philosophy Learned from Examples
• Biographical Appendix
• References
• Index