50 Great Myths of Human Evolution uses common misconceptions to explore basic theory and research in human evolution and strengthen critical thinking skills for lay readers and students. Examines intriguing yet widely misunderstood topics, from general ideas about evolution and human origins to the evolution of modern humans and recent trends in the field Describes what fossils, archaeology, and genetics can tell us about human origins Demonstrates the ways in which science adapts and changes over time to incorporate new evidence and better explanations Includes myths such as Humans lived at the same time as dinosaurs; Lucy was so small because she was a child; Our ancestors have always made fire; and There is a strong relationship between brain size and intelligence Comprised of stand–alone essays that are perfect for casual reading, as well as footnotes and references that allow readers to delve more deeply into topics INDICE: Preface .Introduction: Myths and Misconceptions .Part 1: Ideas about Evolution .Myth 1: Evolution is a Theory, Not a Fact .Myth 2: Evolution is Completely Random .Myth 3: All Evolutionary Change Is Adaptive .Myth 4: In Evolution, Bigger is Always Better .Myth 5: Natural Selection Always Works .Myth 6: Some Species are More Evolved than are Others .Myth 7: Humans Lived at the Same Time as the Dinosaurs .Part 2: Human Origins .Myth 8: If Apes Evolved Into Humans, Then Apes Should Not Exist Today .Myth 9: Ramapithecus was a Human Ancestor .Myth 10: Humans and African Apes Split From Each Other Over 15 Million Years Ago .Myth 11: Gigantopithecus was the Ancestor of Bigfoot (Assuming Bigfoot Exists) .Myth 12: Human Traits All Evolved At the Same Time .Myth 13: Large Brains Evolved Very Early in Human Evolution .Myth 14: The Common Ancestor of African Apes and Humans Walked Like a Chimpanzee .Myth 15: Bipedalism First Evolved on the African Grasslands .Myth 16: Lucy was So Small Because She Was a Child .Myth 17: Australopithecus Was a Killer Ape .Myth 18: Human Evolution Can Be Described As a Ladder .Myth 19: All Hominin Species Have Probably Been Discovered .Myth 20: There Are No Transitional Fossils in Human Evolution .Part 3: Evolution of the Genus Homo .Myth 21: Only One Species of Homo Lived Two Million Years Ago .Myth 22: Early Homo Had Modern Human Brain Size .Myth 23: Only Humans Are Toolmakers and Have Culture .Myth 24: We Can Identify Species by the Stone Tools They Made .Myth 25: Homo habilis Definitely Made Shelter .Myth 26: Our Ancestors Have Always Made Fire .Myth 27: Early Humans Got All of Their Meat from Hunting .Myth 28: Species with Larger Brow Ridges Are More Apelike .Myth 29: Neandertals Walked Bent Over and Were Dumb Brutes .Myth 30: Neandertals Definitely Could Not Speak .Myth 31: Modern Humans Appeared First in Eurasia .Myth 32: Mitochondrial Eve is Our Only Common Female Ancestor .Myth 33: Neandertals Did Not Interbreed With Modern Humans .Myth 34: We Don?t Need Fossils Any More To Learn About Human Evolution .Myth 35: All Recent Human Species Had Large Brains .Part 4: Recent and Future Human Evolution .Myth 36: Each of Us Has Billions of Distinct Ancestors .Myth 37: The First Americans Came From Europe or the Middle East .Myth 38: The First Polynesians Came From South America .Myth 39: The Origin of Agriculture Led To an Improvement In Health .Myth 40: Civilization Has Been Influenced By Extraterrestrials .Myth 41: The Recent Increase in Life Expectancy Was Due Initially To Antibiotics .Myth 42: There Are Three Distinct Shades of Human Skin Color .Myth 43: Biological Race is Useful for Understanding Human Variation .Myth 44: All African Americans Have the Same Genetic History .Myth 45: Genetic Ancestry Is the Same Thing As Cultural Identity .Myth 46: Sickle Cell Anemia Is a Black Disease .Myth 47: There Is a Strong Genetic Relationship between Brain Size and Intelligence Test Scores .Myth 48: Humans Are No Longer Evolving .Myth 49: Blond Hair Will Eventually Disappear .Myth 50: We Can Predict Future Human Evolution .Notes .References
- ISBN: 978-0-470-67391-1
- Editorial: John Wiley & Sons
- Encuadernacion: Cartoné
- Páginas: 304
- Fecha Publicación: 29/12/2016
- Nº Volúmenes: 1
- Idioma: Inglés
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