Major Topics in Primate and Human Evolution

About this book

The fragmentary fossil record of primates and hominids has generated fundamental, and often well publicised, differences of opinion about their evolution.

The objective of this book, based upon a joint symposium of the Anatomical Society and Primate Society of Great Britain, is to present a review of the major problem areas, emphasising both neontology and palaeontology and aimed specifically to meet the requirements of students. For some issues, leading proponents of `rival' schools present their viewpoint; for others, distinguished contributors have reviewed a particularly important or controversial problem, presenting non-partisan objective analysis.

By including papers that adopt contrasting opinions towards the reconstruction of evolutionary relationships and by incorporating the interpretations of the fossil evidence, this volume provides a valuable synthesis of the thinking about primate and human palaeontology. Previously published in 1986.

Contents

List of contributors; Preface; 1. Primates: a definition R. D. Martin; 2. Plesiadapis and the delineation of the order Primates P. D. Gingerich; 3. The relationships of the Tarssiiformes: a review of the case for the Haplorhini L. C. Aiello; 4. Platyrrhines, catarrhines and the anthropoid transition A. L. Rosenberger; 5. Problems of dental evolution in the higher primates P. M. Butler; 6. Molecular evidence for catarrhine evolution P. Andrews; 7. The fossil record of early catarrhine evolution J. G. Fleagle; 8. Molecular sequences and hominoid phylogeny M. J. Bishop and A. E. Friday; 9. Hominoid evolution: molecular and palaeontological patterns M. Ruvolo and D. Pilbeam; 10. Relationships among extant and extinct great apes and humans L. Martin; 11. Bipedalism: pressures, origins and modes M. H. Day; 12. Dental trends in the australopithecones: the allometry of mandibular molar dimensions W. L. Jungers and F. E. Grine; 13. Australopithecus: grade or clade? B. A. Wood and A. T. Chamberlain; 14. Homo and Paranthropus: similarities in the cranial base and developing dentition M. C. Dean; 15. The credibility of Homo habilis C. B. Stringer; 16. The origin and fate of Homo erectus A. Bilsborough and B. A. Wood; 17. The origin of Homo sapiens: the genetic evidence J. S. Jones; 18. The origin of Homo sapiens: the fossil evidence D. R. Pilbeam; Author index; Subject index.

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