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The Speciation of Modern Homo Sapiens
Edited by T. J. Crow
272 pages
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numerous figures & tables
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234x156mm
978-0-19-726311-2
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Paperback
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08 January 2004
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- Unique in bringing an interdisciplinary approach to the Out of Africa hypothesis
This is the first volume to address directly the question of the speciation of modern Homo sapiens. The subject raises profound questions about the nature of the species, our defining characteristic (it is suggested it is language), and the brain changes and their genetic basis that make us distinct. The British Academy and the Academy of Medical Sciences have brought together experts from palaeontology, archaeology, linguistics, psychology, genetics and evolutionary theory to present evidence and theories at the cutting edge of our understanding of these
issues.
Palaeontological and genetic work suggests that the transition from a precursor hominid species to modern man took place between 100,000 and 150,000 years ago. Some contributors discuss what is most characteristic of the species, focussing on language and its possible basis in brain lateralization. This work is placed in the context of speciation theory, which has remained a subject of considerable debate since the evolutionary synthesis of Mendelian genetics and Darwinian theory. The timing of specific transitions in hominid evolution is discussed, as also is the question of the neural basis of language. Other contributors address the possible genetic nature of the transition, with reference to changes on the X and Y chromosomes that may account for sex
differences in lateralization and verbal ability. These differences are discussed in terms of the theory of sexual selection, and with reference to the mechanisms of speciation.
These essays will be vital reading for anyone interested in the nature and origins of the species, and specifically human abilities.
Readership: Scholars and students of human evolution, palaeontologists, archaeologists, linguists, psychologists, geneticists
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Edited by T. J. Crow, Warneford Hospital, Oxford Contributors:
Paul Mellars, University of Cambridge
Ian Tattersall, American Museum of Natural History
Derek Bickerton, Moore Hall
Michael Corballis, University of Auckland
T. J. Crow, University of Oxford
Chris Tyler-Smith, University of Oxford
Nabeel Affara, University of Cambridge
M. Collard, University College London
James Steele, University of Southampton
N. D. Cook, Kansai University, Japan
D. Ploog, Max-Plank Institute for Psychiatry
C. A. Sargent, University of
Cambridge
K. Reinhold, University of Bonn
P. Blanco, University of Cambridge
C. Stringer, The Natural History Museum
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THE ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES
Chris Stringer: The Out-of-Africa Hypothesis of Modern Human Origins
Paul Mellars: The Earliest Evidence of Cognitive Ability
Ian Tattersall: The Case for Saltational Events in Human Evolution
Mark Collard: Grades and Transitions in Human Evolution
LANGUAGE AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE BRAIN
Derek Bickerton: From Proto-language to Language
Detlev Ploog: Is the Neural Basis of Vocalisation Different in Non-Human Primates and Homo Sapiens?
Michael Corballis: Laterality and Human Speciation
James Steele: When did Directional ssymmetry Enter the Record?
Norman D. Cook: Bihemispheric Language: How the Two Hemispheres Collaborate in the Processing of Language
THE SEARCH FOR A CRITICAL EVENT
T. J. Crow: Sexual Selection, Timing, and the X-Y Homologous Gene: Did Homo Sapiens Speciate on the Y Chromosome?
Chris Tyler-Smith: What the Y chromosome can tell us about the origins of modern humans
Caroline Sargent, Patricia Blanco and Nabeel Affara: Do the Hominid-Specific Regions of X-Y Homology Contain Candidate Genes Potentially Involved in a Critical Event Linked to Speciation?
Klaus Reinhold: Preferential Sex Linkage of Sexually Selected Genes: Evidence and a New Explanation
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The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Occasionally, due to the nature of some contractual restrictions, we are unable to ship a specific product to a particular territory. Jacket images are provisional and liable to change before publication.
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