The Real Planet of the Apes: A New Story of Human Origins
The astonishing new story of human origins

Was Darwin wrong when he traced our origins to Africa? The Real Planet of the Apes makes the explosive claim that it was in Europe, not Africa, where apes evolved the most important hallmarks of our human lineage. In this compelling and accessible book, David Begun, one of the world’s leading paleoanthropologists, transports readers to an epoch in the remote past when the Earth was home to many migratory populations of ape species. Begun draws on the latest astonishing discoveries in the fossil record, as well as his own experiences conducting field expeditions, to offer a sweeping evolutionary history of great apes and humans. He tells the story of how one of the earliest members of our evolutionary group evolved from lemur-like monkeys in the primeval forests of Africa. Begun then vividly describes how, over the next ten million years, these hominoids expanded into Europe and Asia and evolved climbing and hanging adaptations, longer maturation times, and larger brains. As the climate deteriorated in Europe, these apes either died out or migrated south, reinvading the African continent and giving rise to the lineages of African great apes, and, ultimately, humans. Presenting startling new insights, The Real Planet of the Apes fundamentally alters our understanding of human origins.

"1121862503"
The Real Planet of the Apes: A New Story of Human Origins
The astonishing new story of human origins

Was Darwin wrong when he traced our origins to Africa? The Real Planet of the Apes makes the explosive claim that it was in Europe, not Africa, where apes evolved the most important hallmarks of our human lineage. In this compelling and accessible book, David Begun, one of the world’s leading paleoanthropologists, transports readers to an epoch in the remote past when the Earth was home to many migratory populations of ape species. Begun draws on the latest astonishing discoveries in the fossil record, as well as his own experiences conducting field expeditions, to offer a sweeping evolutionary history of great apes and humans. He tells the story of how one of the earliest members of our evolutionary group evolved from lemur-like monkeys in the primeval forests of Africa. Begun then vividly describes how, over the next ten million years, these hominoids expanded into Europe and Asia and evolved climbing and hanging adaptations, longer maturation times, and larger brains. As the climate deteriorated in Europe, these apes either died out or migrated south, reinvading the African continent and giving rise to the lineages of African great apes, and, ultimately, humans. Presenting startling new insights, The Real Planet of the Apes fundamentally alters our understanding of human origins.

23.95 In Stock
The Real Planet of the Apes: A New Story of Human Origins

The Real Planet of the Apes: A New Story of Human Origins

by David R. Begun
The Real Planet of the Apes: A New Story of Human Origins

The Real Planet of the Apes: A New Story of Human Origins

by David R. Begun

Paperback(Reprint)

$23.95 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

The astonishing new story of human origins

Was Darwin wrong when he traced our origins to Africa? The Real Planet of the Apes makes the explosive claim that it was in Europe, not Africa, where apes evolved the most important hallmarks of our human lineage. In this compelling and accessible book, David Begun, one of the world’s leading paleoanthropologists, transports readers to an epoch in the remote past when the Earth was home to many migratory populations of ape species. Begun draws on the latest astonishing discoveries in the fossil record, as well as his own experiences conducting field expeditions, to offer a sweeping evolutionary history of great apes and humans. He tells the story of how one of the earliest members of our evolutionary group evolved from lemur-like monkeys in the primeval forests of Africa. Begun then vividly describes how, over the next ten million years, these hominoids expanded into Europe and Asia and evolved climbing and hanging adaptations, longer maturation times, and larger brains. As the climate deteriorated in Europe, these apes either died out or migrated south, reinvading the African continent and giving rise to the lineages of African great apes, and, ultimately, humans. Presenting startling new insights, The Real Planet of the Apes fundamentally alters our understanding of human origins.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780691182803
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication date: 11/13/2018
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 264
Product dimensions: 5.80(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

David R. Begun is professor of anthropology at the University of Toronto. His books include A Companion to Paleoanthropology and The Evolution of Thought.

Table of Contents

PREFACE vii

INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER 1 THE EARLY YEARS 27

CHAPTER 2 OUT OF AFRICA: AFROPITHECUS AND FRIENDS 62

CHAPTER 3 OUT IN THE WORLD: EARLY APES SPREAD IN EUROPE 73

CHAPTER 4 HOME AGAIN: THE NEW AFRO-EUROPEAN APES 97

CHAPTER 5 THE BIG EAST-WEST DIVIDE 118

CHAPTER 6 EAST SIDE STORY: OUR COUSINS SIVAPITHECUS AND THE ORANGUTANS 123

CHAPTER 7 WEST SIDE STORY: THE AFRICAN APES OF EUROPE 147

CHAPTER 8 THE DESCENDANTS OF DRYOPITHECUS 162

CHAPTER 9 BACK TO AFRICA AGAIN 187

POSTSCRIPT 227

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 231

NOTES 233

REFERENCES 237

INDEX 239

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"This provocative, engaging, and beautifully written book is a must-read for anyone interested in how and why apes—including humans—got to be the way they are. Begun not only summarizes with clarity the complex evolutionary history of apes, but also challenges us to think differently about ape and human origins."—Daniel E. Lieberman, author of The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease and The Evolution of the Human Head

"In The Real Planet of the Apes, David Begun persuasively and entertainingly argues that we will never understand who we are without knowing the history of the larger ape group from which we evolved. His highly personal survey brilliantly complements more conventional accounts of human origins."—Ian Tattersall, author of The Strange Case of the Rickety Cossack: And Other Cautionary Tales from Human Evolution

"This is a masterful book by a leading scholar that provides an authoritative and engaging introduction to the evolution of apes—including humans. The Real Planet of the Apes is punctuated with wonderful bits of paleontological history and anecdotes about Begun's own experiences in the field. No other book covers the topic in such a coherent and comprehensive way."—John G. Fleagle, author of Primate Adaptation and Evolution

"This book tackles what is perhaps the most timely question in paleoanthropology, and also one of the thorniest—our ape origins and what they tell us about ourselves. There is no more knowledgeable, careful, or thorough a scholar of ape evolution than David Begun. This is a story that needs to be told."—Carol V. Ward, University of Missouri

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews