United States
£ GBP
Reissued in paperback for the 20th anniversary.
Why do humans differ from other primates? What do those differences tell us about human evolution? Elaine Morgan gives a revolutionary hypothesis that explains our anatomic anomalies in The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis – why we walk on two legs, why we are covered in fat, why we can control our rate of breathing? The answers point to one conclusion: millions of years ago our ancestors were trapped in a semi-aquatic environment. In presenting her case, Elaine Morgan forces scientists to question accepted theories of human evolution.
Elaine Morgan was born in 1920, and after studying at Oxford University, worked as a television writer. In 1972, she published The Descent of Woman suggesting that human evolution had an aquatic origin. This idea was attacked at first by scientists but The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis became an international bestseller. In the decades since, Morgan's aquatic ape hypothesis has gained widespread support. She died in 2013.
"More scientific than Genesis, more up to date than Darwin, more fun than Ardrey [...] she writes better than Desmond Morris."
– Sunday Telegraph
"It was one of the most outrageous, improbable evolutionary ideas ever proposed [...] now the idea [...] is becoming respectable."
– The Observer
"Part feminist polemic, part evolutionary bombshell."
– The Guardian
