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Smithsonian Intimate Guide to Human Origins
From the savannas of Africa to modern-day labs for biomechanical analysis and molecular genetics, Smithsonian Intimate Guide to Human Origins reveals how anthropologists are furiously redrawing the human family tree. Their discoveries have spawned a host of new questions: Should chimpanzees be included as a human species? Was it the physical difficulty of human childbirth that encouraged the development of social groups in early human species? Did humans and Neanderthals interbreed? Why did humans supplant Neanderthals in the end? In answering such questions, Smithsonian Intimate Guide to Human Origins sheds new light on one of the most important questions of all: What makes us human?
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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558 people want to read
About the author
Carl Zimmer
52 books1,689 followersCarl Zimmer is a columnist for the New York Times and the author of 15 books about science. His latest book is Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe. Visit him at carlzimmer.com.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 25, 2015
Carl Zimmer's book is a creditable survey of the science of human origins. His text is easy to read, and his treatment of the subject fairly extensive given how broad it is, but where this book really shines is in the visuals. There are 100 color photographs and illustrations in this book, and that works out to around one every two pages. This is something that more book publishers could learn from; if you want to engage the minds of the modern reader, you could do worse than to give a picture/text ratio closer to the web pages which we are spending the rest of the time reading (this written by a blogger who is putting approximately zero pictures into his blog, I realize). Zimmer covers the pre-human fossil finds, and the comparisons with modern non-human primates, and it all adds together as a satisfying coverage of the whole of modern understanding of where we came from.
On a thoroughly idiosyncratic note, it is also dense. Not the prose, the physical form of the book itself; it's not super-heavy, since it's under 200 pages, but it is very dense. Maybe all those color photographs? Something about that feels good in the hand.
On a thoroughly idiosyncratic note, it is also dense. Not the prose, the physical form of the book itself; it's not super-heavy, since it's under 200 pages, but it is very dense. Maybe all those color photographs? Something about that feels good in the hand.
July 1, 2018
Carl Zimmer's writing is scholarly without being pretentious. You won't need a PhD to grasp his concepts and his enthusiasm for the subject matter is contagious. This book doesn't just describe the science of human evolution, it celebrates it!
August 3, 2020
Smithsonian Intimate Guide to Human Origins, Carl Zimmer, 2005, 176 pp., ISBN 9780060829612, Dewey 599.938
Simplistic. Not much here.
Tells us:
"Our entire species has less variation in its mitochondrial DNA than a few thousand chimpanzees that live in the Ivory Coast." p. 107.
Along with disinformation:
Speculates that "Neanderthals couldn't understand complex language," p. 118. But Neanderthals had the hyoid bone at the base of their tongue, that humans have and apes lack: attached to the larynx by many muscles, the hyoid bone lets us make the rapid succession of consonants and vowels we speak in. Apes couldn't speak even if they knew how. That Neanderthals had this bone, strongly suggests they could speak--not just grunt, hoot, and shriek as apes do. The Neanderthal hyoid was discovered in 1989. goodreads.com/trivia/details/315341-t...
Blithering:
"Only humans have true consciousness." p. 21. "Only humans use cause-and-effect reasoning …" p. 117. Idiotic statements.
"genes get made into proteins" p. 72. Not quite.
"your sixteen great-grandparents …" p. 105. Try eight.
"Perhaps we will bring diseases under control, ward off asteroids with interplanetary mines and find a way to keep our emissions of greenhouse gases from scorching us." p. 161.
Simplistic. Not much here.
Tells us:
"Our entire species has less variation in its mitochondrial DNA than a few thousand chimpanzees that live in the Ivory Coast." p. 107.
Along with disinformation:
Speculates that "Neanderthals couldn't understand complex language," p. 118. But Neanderthals had the hyoid bone at the base of their tongue, that humans have and apes lack: attached to the larynx by many muscles, the hyoid bone lets us make the rapid succession of consonants and vowels we speak in. Apes couldn't speak even if they knew how. That Neanderthals had this bone, strongly suggests they could speak--not just grunt, hoot, and shriek as apes do. The Neanderthal hyoid was discovered in 1989. goodreads.com/trivia/details/315341-t...
Blithering:
"Only humans have true consciousness." p. 21. "Only humans use cause-and-effect reasoning …" p. 117. Idiotic statements.
"genes get made into proteins" p. 72. Not quite.
"your sixteen great-grandparents …" p. 105. Try eight.
"Perhaps we will bring diseases under control, ward off asteroids with interplanetary mines and find a way to keep our emissions of greenhouse gases from scorching us." p. 161.
October 3, 2013
An enjoyable look at the history of the human species - or at least what is known of it for now. The book goes into decent depth in terms of controversy surrounding certain aspects of evolution (for instance, bipedalism and why it arose) as well as explaining how paleoanthropologists manage to deduce as much as they do from such small fragments of fossil.
The book was overall enjoyable and a light enough read that it goes by quickly. In particular, the illustrations and photographs were near. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a brief overview of history - possibly to discover which aspect would be most interesting to delve further into.
The book was overall enjoyable and a light enough read that it goes by quickly. In particular, the illustrations and photographs were near. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a brief overview of history - possibly to discover which aspect would be most interesting to delve further into.
September 3, 2019
Engaging text, beautiful artwork
The romantic days of the search for the "missing link" are gone, and as science writer Carl Zimmer reminds us, that is all to the good since the very idea of a "missing link" is a misdirection. What we have today is the search for human ancestors and for a distinction to be made between our ancestors and other ancient hominids. This book with its beautiful prints and photos, engaging drawings and helpful charts, and especially the sprightly text by Zimmer brings the general reader up to date (circa 2005) on the latest developments.
There's a lot going on. There's the controversy about Homo floresiensis, thought to be a tiny hominid, found in Indonesia in 2004. Zimmer presents the arguments. Some think that Homo floresiensis is an island adaptation of Home erectus, the first hominid to make it out of Africa 1.8 million years ago. After all, island adaptation often leads to diminished size. There are fossils of now extinct small elephants in Indonesia. But others believe that the skull found is an anomaly, a case of microcephaly, a birth defect. I'm betting on the latter. [Note: since I wrote this I’ve changed my mind. From the lastest evidence that I am aware of Homo floresiensis is (probably) an island adaptation of (possibly) Home erectus.]
There are wooden spears found that are around 400,000 years old, meaning that Homo habilis or Homo ergaster (who may be one and the same) or the more recently discovered Homo heidelbergensis were accomplished tool makers long before Homo sapiens arrived on the scene. There is the idea that Homo neanderthalensis is a cold climate, European adaptation of Homo erectus. [Note: more recent evidence suggests that Homo neanderthalensis is later than Homo erectus and more closely related to us through Homo heidelbergensis.]
Part of the excitement in paleontology is in the new fossil finds, and part is in our new-found ability to analyze DNA samples to map the spread of hominids. This allows us to see the "out of Africa" phenomenon in three main stages: (1) Homo erectus leaving Africa 1.8 million years ago, followed by (2) Homo heidelbergensis expanding into not only Europe and the Near East and China, but into Southeast Asia as well. Finally (3), about 130,000 years ago, Homo sapiens begin to move out of Africa, first into the Levant and then into East Asia and Australia (50,000 years ago), then into Europe and Siberia (40,000 years ago) and ultimately into the Americas (20,000 years ago). Incidentally, this book has Homo sapiens coming onto the scene almost 200,000 years ago.
Zimmer talks about the various hominid cultures and speculates on their social and religious possibilities. On the subject of what happened to the Neanderthal, he intimates that he believes it was a combination of things that allowed humans to survive while the Neanderthals went extinct, including being better able to adapt to climate change, having a more sophisticated culture and better hunting techniques. I think it's also possible (actually I think it's likely) that humans were better at killing not only herd animals but the competition as well, meaning that one of the reasons that the Neanderthals are gone is because we killed them. Zimmer more or less skirts around this, waiting (wisely, I think) until further evidence is in.
In a final chapter, "Where Do We Go from Here?" Zimmer briefly discusses biotechnology and genetic engineering, and how our species might be affected by cultural evolution.
This is a handsome book. It's like a coffee table book with the high gloss, heavy pages and the beautiful artwork, but smaller in size. Most significantly it is a book aimed at the general reader that is well written, well edited, and very well presented. And it is clear. It is in fact the clearest book on human origins--usually a very murky subject--that I have read.
By the way, Zimmer is the author of several excellent science books. I especially recommend his creepy, but fascinating, Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures (2000).
--Dennis Littrell, author of “Understanding Evolution and Ourselves”
The romantic days of the search for the "missing link" are gone, and as science writer Carl Zimmer reminds us, that is all to the good since the very idea of a "missing link" is a misdirection. What we have today is the search for human ancestors and for a distinction to be made between our ancestors and other ancient hominids. This book with its beautiful prints and photos, engaging drawings and helpful charts, and especially the sprightly text by Zimmer brings the general reader up to date (circa 2005) on the latest developments.
There's a lot going on. There's the controversy about Homo floresiensis, thought to be a tiny hominid, found in Indonesia in 2004. Zimmer presents the arguments. Some think that Homo floresiensis is an island adaptation of Home erectus, the first hominid to make it out of Africa 1.8 million years ago. After all, island adaptation often leads to diminished size. There are fossils of now extinct small elephants in Indonesia. But others believe that the skull found is an anomaly, a case of microcephaly, a birth defect. I'm betting on the latter. [Note: since I wrote this I’ve changed my mind. From the lastest evidence that I am aware of Homo floresiensis is (probably) an island adaptation of (possibly) Home erectus.]
There are wooden spears found that are around 400,000 years old, meaning that Homo habilis or Homo ergaster (who may be one and the same) or the more recently discovered Homo heidelbergensis were accomplished tool makers long before Homo sapiens arrived on the scene. There is the idea that Homo neanderthalensis is a cold climate, European adaptation of Homo erectus. [Note: more recent evidence suggests that Homo neanderthalensis is later than Homo erectus and more closely related to us through Homo heidelbergensis.]
Part of the excitement in paleontology is in the new fossil finds, and part is in our new-found ability to analyze DNA samples to map the spread of hominids. This allows us to see the "out of Africa" phenomenon in three main stages: (1) Homo erectus leaving Africa 1.8 million years ago, followed by (2) Homo heidelbergensis expanding into not only Europe and the Near East and China, but into Southeast Asia as well. Finally (3), about 130,000 years ago, Homo sapiens begin to move out of Africa, first into the Levant and then into East Asia and Australia (50,000 years ago), then into Europe and Siberia (40,000 years ago) and ultimately into the Americas (20,000 years ago). Incidentally, this book has Homo sapiens coming onto the scene almost 200,000 years ago.
Zimmer talks about the various hominid cultures and speculates on their social and religious possibilities. On the subject of what happened to the Neanderthal, he intimates that he believes it was a combination of things that allowed humans to survive while the Neanderthals went extinct, including being better able to adapt to climate change, having a more sophisticated culture and better hunting techniques. I think it's also possible (actually I think it's likely) that humans were better at killing not only herd animals but the competition as well, meaning that one of the reasons that the Neanderthals are gone is because we killed them. Zimmer more or less skirts around this, waiting (wisely, I think) until further evidence is in.
In a final chapter, "Where Do We Go from Here?" Zimmer briefly discusses biotechnology and genetic engineering, and how our species might be affected by cultural evolution.
This is a handsome book. It's like a coffee table book with the high gloss, heavy pages and the beautiful artwork, but smaller in size. Most significantly it is a book aimed at the general reader that is well written, well edited, and very well presented. And it is clear. It is in fact the clearest book on human origins--usually a very murky subject--that I have read.
By the way, Zimmer is the author of several excellent science books. I especially recommend his creepy, but fascinating, Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures (2000).
--Dennis Littrell, author of “Understanding Evolution and Ourselves”
August 16, 2012
Beknopte beschrijving van de geschiedenis van de mens als soort (vanaf de eerste hominiden tot de eerste landbouw en veeteelt).
Het boekje is vooral interessant vanwege de jongste inzichten en ontdekkingen, waarvan sommige het beeld van onze voorgeschiedenis opvallend ingrijpend weten te veranderen. Erg volledig is het boekje echter niet, de ontdekking van het vuur en de ontwikkeling van borsten bijvoorbeeld worden volledig overgeslagen en aan de Paranthropus-tak wordt nul aandacht besteed.
Zo is het boekje vooral een goed overzicht van de stand van zaken in de palaeantropologie anno 2005. Ongetwijfeld zal het binnenkort alweer verouderd zijn...
Het boekje is vooral interessant vanwege de jongste inzichten en ontdekkingen, waarvan sommige het beeld van onze voorgeschiedenis opvallend ingrijpend weten te veranderen. Erg volledig is het boekje echter niet, de ontdekking van het vuur en de ontwikkeling van borsten bijvoorbeeld worden volledig overgeslagen en aan de Paranthropus-tak wordt nul aandacht besteed.
Zo is het boekje vooral een goed overzicht van de stand van zaken in de palaeantropologie anno 2005. Ongetwijfeld zal het binnenkort alweer verouderd zijn...
November 3, 2016
จบค่ะ 5 ดาวค่ะ สุดยอดไปเลย เรื่องราวดี เหมือนดูสารคดี แต่อาจสับสนศัพท์เพราะสาขาวิชานี้มีการอัพเดทศัพท์ตลอด เช่น โฮมินิด ครอบคลุมแค่ไหน? บลาๆๆ บางครั้งอ่านจบไม่รู้ว่าอันไหนคือเวอร์ชั่นอัพเดท อยากให้มีฉบับปรับปรุงเพิ่มเติม
March 15, 2012
I admit it, I bought this book for the pictures. The photography is awesome. Mr. Zimmer's book is an excellent summary of human origins and an easy read.
January 11, 2022
Geeft uitstekend beeld van de tot dusver bekende theorie over de evolutie. Hiaten en controverses komen aan bod.
May 25, 2013
This is a very readable and visually appealing introduction to our evolutionary roots. Packed with illustrations, photographs, and discussions of contemporary theories (example: Did humans and neanderthals interbreed?), it reads fairly fast. I found the actual writing to be a bit choppy though, with a few vagaries and some distracting tangents. Still, it's fairly up to date (it even includes Homo Floresiensis - the so-called "hobbits"). As a general overview of a fascinating science, I'd give it a solid recommendation.
February 22, 2013
This was a fine basic introduction to what is known about hominids. However it suffered from the fact that I have just read Ian Tattersall's book Becoming Human, which has much better writing. This book did have wonderful glossy photos of artifacts, reconstructions of what various hominids looked like, and of fossils. I also did not like how the final chapter of the book mentions evolutionary psychology without indicating that it is not a very respected field of science.
July 24, 2009
Great book about our distant ancestors. I'm glad I started with this book on the subject: it's an easy-to-read introduction with beautiful photos of the fossils. Should be read by all homo sapiens! I'll end this review as many e-mails end: forward this to ten homo sapiens you know and you'll have good luck!
August 22, 2011
Solid presentation. Easy read, great illustrations. Provides a good overview. It is not overly technical which relegates it to those who are "beginners" or maybe some "intermediates" in the studying of human evolution. I do recommend it to be part of your science bookshelf.
May 14, 2013
Voor alle mensen die Darwin's The Origin of the Species te moeilijk vinden.
Makkelijk leesbaar en goed begrijpbaar.Een aanrader voor al diegene die ondanks alle feiten de evolutie theorie blijven verwerpen.
Makkelijk leesbaar en goed begrijpbaar.Een aanrader voor al diegene die ondanks alle feiten de evolutie theorie blijven verwerpen.
May 6, 2009
Science is good.
June 28, 2010
I enjoyed the book and I enjoy Zimmer's style of writing. I did not enjoy the inserts, it was like reading National Geographic articles with inserts that disrupt the story line.
August 1, 2010
Nice illustrated introduction to human origins.
February 13, 2013
I read the version whose title is "Where Did We Come From?". It was exactly the same book as the Smithsonian Guide. I don't like the inserts.
April 4, 2011
I read the version whose title is "Where Did We Come From?". It was exactly the same book as the Smithsonian Guide. I don't like the inserts.
August 13, 2011
A popular-level account of human origins. Carl Zimmer's writing is crystal clear as usual and the illustrations are first rate.
August 17, 2011
Like a series of Discover articles, up-to-date, lots of nice photos, graphs, and charts. A useful primer on the topic.
May 30, 2012
great and simple read
September 7, 2013
Great book, but didn't go into the details too deep, and didn't talk about some of the roots of the M168 and connection of the indigenous Australians. It is similar to many books on the subject.
January 7, 2014
Very basic but well written and easy to read.
December 20, 2015
Excelent introductory overview
March 10, 2016
A great introductory book on hominids/ human evolution. Easy to read, concisely written and packed with very interesting information.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews