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

Description

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--such as dexterous hands and larger brains. In this compelling and accessible book, David Begun, one of the world's leading paleoanthropo

David R. Begun is professor of anthropology at the University of Toronto. His books include A Companion to Paleoanthropology and The Evolution of Thought: Evolutionary Origins of Great Ape Intelligence. He lives in Toronto.

One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2016 "[The Real Planet of the Apes] is enthralling, making accessible an absolutely critical period of human evolution and scientific debates surrounding the interpretation of its evidence--including [Begun's] own controversial thesis."--Steven Mithen, New York Review of Books "Begun's overarching goal is to promote his hypothesis that the ancestor of the African apes and humans may actually have evolved in Europe instead of Africa. He builds a strong case for this not-yet-mainstream idea while making it abundantly clear that he is open to data that would prove him wrong. Begun's passion is evident in both his writing and his science."--Publishers Weekly "Begun's book provides the 'on-the-ground,' 'point-of-view-of-a-dedicated-specialist' perspective that I find really valuable... The Real Planet of the Apes is written in a non-academic, friendly tone, is well designed and well illustrated, and should be obtained by those seriously interested in fossil primates, primate diversity and evolution, and in mammal history more generally."--Darren Naish, ScientificAmerican.com's Tetrapod Zoology blog "The questions of where, when, and how our species evolved are fascinating."--Kirkus "There is much to link in this enjoyable book. A highlight is its introduction... Begun writes in a friendly, almost conversational style throughout... Perhaps the best advice that I can offer is a paraphrase of the immortal words uttered by Heston's character in the eponymous film: 'Get your stinking paws on this book, you damn dirty ape!'"--Simon Underdown, Times Higher Education "Begun bucks prevailing wisdom thought in his book, which theorizes that our ancestors left Africa and migrated to Europe for 10 million years. Backed by 30 years of field work and research, Begun's theory is worth a look."--Chicago Tribune "Begun, a leading expert on ape evolution, has produced an engaging, superbly written account of the evolutionary history of apes. The book starts 35 million years ago and progresses through time, introducing the most important fossil discoveries along the way. The text is enlivened by the author's personal recollections and anecdotes about historical events and figures and the scientists he encountered during the course of his research over the past three decades. The brisk pacing of the narrative, the depth of knowledge presented, and Begun's ability to convey difficult concepts simply and with minimal technical detail contribute to the book's success."--Choice