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Seven Million Years: The Story of Human Evolution
How did humans evolve? Why did Homo sapiens survive when others did not? Do Neanderthals deserve their reputation as hairy, unintelligent ape-men? Douglas Palmer, an acclaimed science writer and lecturer, examines one aspect of evolution that has been particularly difficult for some to humanity’s common ancestry with chimpanzees and other apes. Written for the general reader, and including the most up-to-date genetic research, this fascinating study explores the archeological finds and biological research that lead to the discovery of our own species. Palmer’s look at our link to a family tree of over 20 close relativesmany now extinctprovides intriguing insights and will change our perception of what it means to be human.
283 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2007
About the author
Douglas Palmer
83 books12 followersDouglas Palmer is a science writer, academic, and author of many books on paleontology, including Life Before Man and Graptolites: Writing in the Rock. In addition to writing numerous articles for leading journals such as Science and New Scientist, he teaches Natural and Earth Sciences at Cambridge University, England.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 29, 2021
When did humanness first emerge in the hominid's lineage? What qualities characterize being human? Was the first indication that distinguished our ancestors from the rest of the species when they rose on their own two feet several million years ago in Africa? Perhaps it was when the Homo habilis two million years ago developed a craft of stone tool-making that he envisioned to use in the future and thus we became planners. This archaic technology enabled the production of stone weapons with which for the first time the physically weaker could overpower the competitor's muscle strength in conflict.
Perhaps a more recent modern human characteristic appeared 50,000 to 150,000 years ago that was possibly caused by a genetic mutation that resulted in an adaptation and hence the development of language and even our sense for numbers. This linguistic ability enabled our ancestors to clearly and quickly communicate thoughts and their sense for mathematics created the ability to compute while passing down the acquired knowledge and experience to their peers and offspring.
Douglas Palmer correlates the appearance of bone tools and ornaments in Eurasia 40,000 years ago to modern human behavior and links this cognitive ability to produce them to the Cro-Magon humans. Perhaps it was free time along with our cognitive evolution that enabled our ancestors to create rock art engravings 80,000 years ago found in the Blombos Cave in South Africa or cave art in the Chauvet Cave in France 32,000 years ago.
It seems that the increase of the hominid's brain size is a good but rough parameter for measuring intelligence. Although, a more precise method is the brain-to-body mass ratio; the lower the ratio the higher the cognitive leap. Nevertheless, this method has many flaws, too. It appears that we just can't seem to find an adequate quantifiable size or ratio.
All in all, Seven Million Years: The Story of Human Evolution (2005) is a great summary of the last seven million years of the more than two dozen human-related species that lived, evolved, and became extinct with the Homo sapiens only to survive. Palmer does not dig much into the development of the human consciousness and the power of our imagination and self-awareness but gives a well-balanced overview of the events that were clear signs of the arrival of true humanness. Thanks to Sense of History and Marc for bringing this wonderful book to my attention.
(4.5/5.0)
Perhaps a more recent modern human characteristic appeared 50,000 to 150,000 years ago that was possibly caused by a genetic mutation that resulted in an adaptation and hence the development of language and even our sense for numbers. This linguistic ability enabled our ancestors to clearly and quickly communicate thoughts and their sense for mathematics created the ability to compute while passing down the acquired knowledge and experience to their peers and offspring.
Douglas Palmer correlates the appearance of bone tools and ornaments in Eurasia 40,000 years ago to modern human behavior and links this cognitive ability to produce them to the Cro-Magon humans. Perhaps it was free time along with our cognitive evolution that enabled our ancestors to create rock art engravings 80,000 years ago found in the Blombos Cave in South Africa or cave art in the Chauvet Cave in France 32,000 years ago.
It seems that the increase of the hominid's brain size is a good but rough parameter for measuring intelligence. Although, a more precise method is the brain-to-body mass ratio; the lower the ratio the higher the cognitive leap. Nevertheless, this method has many flaws, too. It appears that we just can't seem to find an adequate quantifiable size or ratio.
All in all, Seven Million Years: The Story of Human Evolution (2005) is a great summary of the last seven million years of the more than two dozen human-related species that lived, evolved, and became extinct with the Homo sapiens only to survive. Palmer does not dig much into the development of the human consciousness and the power of our imagination and self-awareness but gives a well-balanced overview of the events that were clear signs of the arrival of true humanness. Thanks to Sense of History and Marc for bringing this wonderful book to my attention.
(4.5/5.0)
August 19, 2020
At last a solid, comprehensible and above all scientifically correct survey of the earliest human history. Douglas Palmer writes very vulgarising, but based on excellent documentation. He presents the successive steps of the transition from mammals to our homo sapiens species, not as a linear movement as formerly molded into the simple model of a family tree, but an ever more erratic shrub: “Every now and then large bunches of twigs develop (species), with most coming to nothing and dying out. But every now and then there is a twig that manages to hold on and then diverges into new forms (…); the entire grove eventually becomes a shrub-like three-dimensional shape with countless twigs, which will continue to grow over time”.
What particularly pleased me is Palmer's continued emphasis on the preliminary nature of the findings. Because if there is one scientific sector where views are constantly changing, it is that of palaeontology: with almost every new discovery and with almost every new technique that is applied, the picture of human origins has to be adjusted (and unfortunately this is partly due to the widespread unscientific approach by many palaeontologists themselves, see my review in my History-account on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). And Palmer explains that very well. In the end, he also zooms in on the revolutionary new insights that advances in genetic research are yielding. The only downside is that this book was published in 2005, already 15 years ago, and thus in the early stage of that genetic research. Fortunately, Palmer also warns against exaggerated expectations, because even that genetic research has its limitations. Engaging and Fascinating.
What particularly pleased me is Palmer's continued emphasis on the preliminary nature of the findings. Because if there is one scientific sector where views are constantly changing, it is that of palaeontology: with almost every new discovery and with almost every new technique that is applied, the picture of human origins has to be adjusted (and unfortunately this is partly due to the widespread unscientific approach by many palaeontologists themselves, see my review in my History-account on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). And Palmer explains that very well. In the end, he also zooms in on the revolutionary new insights that advances in genetic research are yielding. The only downside is that this book was published in 2005, already 15 years ago, and thus in the early stage of that genetic research. Fortunately, Palmer also warns against exaggerated expectations, because even that genetic research has its limitations. Engaging and Fascinating.
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August 19, 2020Reports of spectacular developments in archaeology, and more specifically in palaeontology (the earliest history of species on Earth) occasionally irritate me. With the regularity of a clock, startling discoveries of fossils are announced, which give the appearance that we need to thoroughly adjust our view of the distant past. This is done not only through press conferences or press releases, but even through publications in usually reliable scientific journals. The scientists involved often base their bold claims on very limited finds, which are often dated with very questionable methods, and in most cases turn out to be completely wrong after a few years, or at least need to be put into perspective. I concede, the entire sector is suffering from structural underfunding, so archaeologists and palaeontologists are forced to constantly seek funding to continue their research; this encourages some to bolster their findings and results, and it must be said: some macho behaviour also is not foreign to the sector. Note: not everyone is guilty of this, and fortunately the sector is broad and dynamic enough, to the extent that almost every publication immediately leads to fierce debates and ultimately some form of healthy correction occurs.
This is a long introduction just to say that when you talk about the very distant past, also called Deep History, you should be extremely careful. And that is exactly what Douglas Palmer does in this book. He presents in a very documented way the provisional state of affairs in the extremely complex research into the origin of humans. So the dim area between hominoid apes, early hominins, the various and now extinct human species and finally modern man, the homo sapiens. It’s an area covering about 7 million years, the starting point of which being a projection, an estimate of the period in which great apes and hominids must have drifted apart.
Palmer beautifully sketches the various steps in the evolution, with a great deal of attention to the broader context and also to the sometimes turbulent debate among palaeontologists themselves. I particularly enjoyed the chapter in which he outlines the fierce and not always kosher behaviour of the Leakey clan, one of the rather dirty episodes in science in general and palaeontology in particular. In the meantime, such excesses appear to have been mitigated, but there are still scientists in that sector who claim that they have found a new human species and are not averse to disregarding the uncertainties in their research. Palmer also shows nicely how new techniques and methodologies keep shedding new light on old material, and how genetic research in particular has led to alternative views, although he - rightly - warns against exaggerations. In short, this is vulgarising history book as it should be: comprehensible, graphical, with an eye for the context and with warnings about uncertainties. Douglas Palmer is a scientist after my heart!
This is a long introduction just to say that when you talk about the very distant past, also called Deep History, you should be extremely careful. And that is exactly what Douglas Palmer does in this book. He presents in a very documented way the provisional state of affairs in the extremely complex research into the origin of humans. So the dim area between hominoid apes, early hominins, the various and now extinct human species and finally modern man, the homo sapiens. It’s an area covering about 7 million years, the starting point of which being a projection, an estimate of the period in which great apes and hominids must have drifted apart.
Palmer beautifully sketches the various steps in the evolution, with a great deal of attention to the broader context and also to the sometimes turbulent debate among palaeontologists themselves. I particularly enjoyed the chapter in which he outlines the fierce and not always kosher behaviour of the Leakey clan, one of the rather dirty episodes in science in general and palaeontology in particular. In the meantime, such excesses appear to have been mitigated, but there are still scientists in that sector who claim that they have found a new human species and are not averse to disregarding the uncertainties in their research. Palmer also shows nicely how new techniques and methodologies keep shedding new light on old material, and how genetic research in particular has led to alternative views, although he - rightly - warns against exaggerations. In short, this is vulgarising history book as it should be: comprehensible, graphical, with an eye for the context and with warnings about uncertainties. Douglas Palmer is a scientist after my heart!
November 7, 2019
I suppose the D. guggenmosi research of november 2019 throw this off. Putting primates in the 12-6 million year old category.
Not a real issue. I kept remembering this book as "Eight Million Years: The Story of Human Evolution" anyway.
People will keep saying ape-like instead of humanoid until we get to 200.000 years anyway. Even though, the last couple of million years clearly shows multiple human species living together. If they read this book, they might feel more connected to the last human race in existence.
Barring cataclysmic events, humanity will stay connected to each other and not diverge into different species. Racists might feel less inclined to use a naturalistic fallacy, if they realized that if their policies were implemented, only then would racism between become a biological equivalent to speciesism.
Realizing our biologically unique category, might bring humanity together.
Not a real issue. I kept remembering this book as "Eight Million Years: The Story of Human Evolution" anyway.
People will keep saying ape-like instead of humanoid until we get to 200.000 years anyway. Even though, the last couple of million years clearly shows multiple human species living together. If they read this book, they might feel more connected to the last human race in existence.
Barring cataclysmic events, humanity will stay connected to each other and not diverge into different species. Racists might feel less inclined to use a naturalistic fallacy, if they realized that if their policies were implemented, only then would racism between become a biological equivalent to speciesism.
Realizing our biologically unique category, might bring humanity together.
February 12, 2011
An interesting book looking at human evolution. It was written in an easily accessible fashion, and looked at not only the information currently available, but also what is unknown, and some of the controversies within the field.
June 14, 2008
Intresting read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews