The record of man's early evolution, though still fragmentary, is more complete on the African continent than anywhere else in the world. The ecological context of this evolution, however, has been studied intensively only in recent years. This pioneering volume draws together eminent specialists from many fields--physical anthropologists, zoologists, geologists, paleontologists, and prehistorians--who summarize here the results of their diverse research on Pleistocene environments and the cultural and biological evolution of man in Africa.
This volume was sponsored by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Inc., which met at Burg Wartenstein, Austria. The editors have field experience in Africa, especially eastern and equatorial Africa. This experience is coupled with their awareness of the need to integrate results of numerous field studies bearing on the biological-behavioral evolution of higher primates with other field studies on the paleoecology and the mammalian ecology of sub-Saharan Africa.
The book includes contributions on Pleistocene stratigraphy and climatic changes throughout the African continent; on the origin and evolution of the earliest man-like creatures in Africa; on the dating, distribution, and adaptation of Pleistocene hunter-gatherer peoples; and on the ecology, biology, and social behavior of African primate and human populations. The chapters reflect vividly the state of current knowledge at the time and indicate paths for future research. Over 100 maps and figures, detailed bibliographies, and a comprehensive index contribute to the importance of the volume for basic reference use.
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Höhe: 254 mm
Breite: 178 mm
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ISBN-13
978-0-202-36136-9 (9780202361369)
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Schweitzer Klassifikation
F. Clark Howell is professor emeritus of paleoanthropology at the University of California, Berkeley where he is co-director of the Laboratory of Human Studies. He is also curator at The University of California Museum of Paleontology. Francois Bourliere (1913-1993) was professor of physiology at the University of Paris. He is also credited with founding the Gerontology Research Unit of Institute of Health and Medical Research and was a member of Paris hospitals.
Climatic-Geomorphologic Interpretation of Pleistocene Sediments in The Eurafrican Subtropics; The Distribution of Tropical African Birds as an Indicator of Past Climatic Changes; Observations on The Ecology of Some Large African Mammals; Continental Vertebrate Faunas of The Tertiary of North Africa; Pleistocene Mammal Faunas of Africa, With Particular Reference to Southern Africa; The Late Tertiary and Pleistocene in The Sahara; Some Aspects of the Pleistocene Paleogeography of the Chad Basin; The Later Tertiary and Pleistocene in Eastern Equatorial Africa; Paleoecological Conditions of the Lake Albert-Lake Edward Rift; Observations on the Absolute Chronology of the Upper Pleistocene; Brief Remarks on The Vegetation of The Mountainous Regions of East Congo 1; Pleistocene Environments in Southern Africa; Baboon Ecology and Human Evolution; Observations on The Ecology and Social Behavior of The Mountain Gorilla; Adaptive Radiation in The Australopithecines and The Origin of Man; Human Evolution in Morocco in The Framework of The Paleoclimatic Variations of The Atlantic Pleistocene; Very Early East African Hominidae and Their Ecological Setting; Acheulian Hunter-Gatherers of Sub-Saharan Africa; Some Ecological Factors Effecting Human Populations of Sub-Saharan Africa; Transcript of Discussions
