Principles of Human Evolution

Principles of Human Evolution presents an in-depth introduction to paleoanthropology and the study of human evolution. Focusing on the fundamentals of evolutionary theory and molecular genetics approaches to important questions in the field, this timely textbook will help students gain a perspective on human evolution in the context of modern biological thinking. The second edition of this successful text features the addition of Robert Foley, a leading researcher in Human Evolutionary Studies, to the writing team. Strong emphasis on evolutionary theory, ecology, and behavior and scores of new examples reflect the latest evolutionary theories and recent archaeological finds. More than a simple update, the new edition is organized by issue rather than chronology, integrating behavior, adaptation, and anatomy. A new design and new figure references make this edition more accessible for students and instructors.

Roger Lewin is an Associate of the Peabody Museum at Harvard University. He is the author of half a dozen books on human origin research, three of which he co-authored with world-famous anthropologist Richard Leakey, as well as the author of the prize-winning Bones of Contention.

Robert A. Foley is the Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies at the University of Cambridge, and a fellow of King’s College. He is the author of numerous articles and books on human evolution, including Another Unique Species (1987) and Humans before Humanity (1995). His research has focused on the links between human evolution and ecological and evolutionary mechanisms.