Masters of the Planet: The Search for Our Human
Origins by Ian Tattersal master of explanation |
I
bought this book on spec after it was reviewed in a science journal, wary of the difficulty of meaningfully covering the emergence of the hominids to the ascent of Homo sapiens in a relatively brief book. Tattersall overcomes this admirably. His account is very clear on where the gaps lie, particularly in respect of both the jump from primates to bipedal hominids and in the appearance of Homo sapiens. Tattersall provides an excellent summary of current knowledge, and explains how our understanding of evolving anatomy, behaviour and genetics has changed the science of anthropology while it still primarily relies on fossilised remains and tools as evidence. The change in gait and skeletal structure as Australopithecus emerges, the tradeoffs as the savannah is exploited, the demands of an energy hungry brain, the improvement of tools as hominids relied less on throwing rocks - there are many elements in this history which the author collates comprehensively and with clarity. The supporting evidence is very disparate, each item often fascinating in its own right, and it is presented in a lively account which explains dates and places in a logical sequence. The Notes provided at the end are general and introduce bibliographies chapter by chapter, and therefore are not in a format that could be usefully referenced from the text (the merits of continuing a story through references to Notes at the end of the book are ambivalent, so this is not necessarily a criticism). |
In
a key later chapter, Tattersall looks for the `keystone' factor that allowed Homo sapiens its dominance. Some fascinating ideas, while not referenced, have also been introduced elsewhere - for neural networking see Sebastien Seung's Connnectome, and for the invention of language by children see Stephen Pinker's The Language Instinct. Tattersall's collation of possibilities and theories is central to this part of the story, and his conjecture is stimulating and balanced. Tattersall has an easy style which helps explain reasonably complex developments. He has the academic confidence to rate the merits of conflicting arguments without diminishing divergent contributions. This book provides an up-to-date account of the breakthroughs that modern tools have provided anthropology and, while new developments will certainly alter the story, this is a good synthesis to allow an enthusiast to follow new developments. |