Introduction to Human Evolution : A Bio-Cultural Approach

"Introduction to Human Evolution has been developed in direct response to student feedback on the standard textbook approach to the subject matter. Concise and filled with engaging images, the book makes evolution, primatology, and human variation appealing to today’s learners.

The book introduces readers to issues surrounding the theory of evolution, sheds light on questions about what evolution is or isn’t, and discusses how we know what we think we do about it.

Readers will learn about early hominins, the Australopithecines, and the genus Homo. The book also addresses population history and genetics, adaptation and acclimatization, and anatomically modern humans. It concludes with the big question—where will we go from here?

Each chapter is a balance of text, exercises, graphs, and visuals. The exercise worksheets support independent learning, and answers are provided to allow for self-assessment.

Introduction to Human Evolution is an excellent choice for courses in anthropology and biology. It is accessible to non-majors, but can also be used in introductory courses for science majors.

Gillian Crane-Kramer earned her Ph.D. in archeology/biological anthropology from the University of Calgary, Canada. She is a professor in the Department of Anthropology at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. Dr. Crane-Kramer is an Osteologist who specializes in the evolution of infectious disease through time.

Roman Harrison earned his Ph.D. in archaeology at the University of Calgary. Dr. Harrison is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, and a member of the Canadian Association for Physical Anthropology.