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This book explores the underlying forces that have shaped the history and prehistory of the earth and humanity.
List of contents
Introduction; Part I. Introduction to the Scientific Perspective on the Past; 2. The Origins of the Universe; 3. The Structure and History of the Earth; 4. Life; 5. Evolution; 6. Genetics; 7. The Evolution of Complex Life; 8. The Cambrian Explosion; 9. Fish and Land Animals; 10. Protohumans; 11. The Genus Homo; 12. Human Variation: The Science and History; 13. Evolution and Human Behavior; 14. Brain Evolution; 15. Chaos and Complexity; Part II. Science and History; 16. The Neolithic; 17. States and Nations; 18. Religion and Philosophy; 19. The Enlightenment; 20. The Industrial Revolution; 21. Economics; 22. Globalism: Money and Power; 23. Modernity; 24. Prospects for the Future.
About the author
Brian Villmoare is Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). His research interests range from broad questions of evolutionary theory to high-resolution studies of the hominin face. His current research projects include studying the role of selection and genetics in evolutionary change and extinction, the specific evolutionary constraints and selection pressures responsible for hominin craniofacial form, and paleoanthropological fieldwork in Ethiopia. In 2013 he participated in the discovery of the oldest fossil specimen of our genus, Homo.
Summary
This volume provides a deep, causal view on the forces that have shaped the universe, the earth, and humanity. Anyone who wants to understand the place of humanity in the universe, and how the course of humanity reflects our ancestry, will find this book of value.
