Masters of the planet : seeking the origins of human singularity / Ian Tattersall.

By:

Tattersall, Ian

Publication details: New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.Description: xxii, 255 p. : ill. ; 21cmISBN:

9780230108752 (hardback)

Subject(s):

DDC classification:

599.93/8 23

LOC classification:

GN281 .T364 2012

Other classification:

SCI027000 | SCI036000

Summary: "When homo sapiens made their entrance 100,000 years ago they were confronted by a wide range of other early humans--homo erectus, who walked better and used fire; homo habilis who used tools; and of course the Neanderthals, who were brawny and strong. But shortly after their arrival, something happened that vaulted the species forward and made them the indisputable masters of the planet. This book is devoted to revealing just what that difference is. It explores how the physical traits and cognitive ability of homo sapiens distanced them from the rest of nature. Even more importantly, Masters of the Planet looks at how our early ancestors acquired these superior abilities; it shows that their strange and unprecedented mental facility is not, as most of us were taught, simply a basic competence that was refined over unimaginable eons by natural selection. Instead, it is an emergent capacity that was acquired quite recently and changed the world definitively"-- Provided by publisher.

Tags from this library: No tags from this library for this title. Log in to add tags.

Average rating: 0.0 (0 votes)

Holdings ( 1 )
Title notes ( 2 )

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Call number	Copy number	Status	Date due	Barcode
Book	Main Library Nonfiction Stacks	599.93 TATTERSALL (Browse shelf(Opens below))	1	Available		31744120098880

Includes bibliographical references (p. [235-255] and index.

"When homo sapiens made their entrance 100,000 years ago they were confronted by a wide range of other early humans--homo erectus, who walked better and used fire; homo habilis who used tools; and of course the Neanderthals, who were brawny and strong. But shortly after their arrival, something happened that vaulted the species forward and made them the indisputable masters of the planet. This book is devoted to revealing just what that difference is. It explores how the physical traits and cognitive ability of homo sapiens distanced them from the rest of nature. Even more importantly, Masters of the Planet looks at how our early ancestors acquired these superior abilities; it shows that their strange and unprecedented mental facility is not, as most of us were taught, simply a basic competence that was refined over unimaginable eons by natural selection. Instead, it is an emergent capacity that was acquired quite recently and changed the world definitively"-- Provided by publisher.