sci.anthropology.paleo FAQ

Contents

1. Welcome
2. Other net resources
3. Frequently asked questions
4. Introductory bibliography

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I: WELCOME

Welcome to sci.anthropology.paleo! The subject of this newsgroup is human and primate evolution. The group Charter and archives are accesible from the group's home page.

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II: OTHER NET RESOURCES

Other newsgroups covering related material

• sci.anthroplogy
• sci.bio.evolution (moderated)
• sci.bio.palaeontology
• sci.archaeology
• sci.bio
• sci.med
• sci.lang
• sci.cognitive
• talk.origins
• alt.fan.lemur

Related mailing lists

• arch-l - general archaeological mailing list (subscriptions to listserv@tamvm1.tamu.edu)
• anthro-l - general anthropology (subscriptions to listservl@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu)
• humbio-l - biological anthropology, primate biology and behaviour (subscriptions to mailserv@acc.fau.edu)
• primate-talk - primate discussion list (subscriptions to primate-talk-request@primate.wisc.edu)

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III: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. You don't seriously expect me to believe this garbage about man evolving from monkeys, do you?

   This kind of polemical question, or anything related (presumably from creationists), is not appropriate for this group. Please refrain from following up to such posts in sci.anthropology.paleo; direct the debate to talk.origins, which is where it belongs. (There is a talk.origins archive.)

2. What is the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis?

   The Aquatic Ape Theory/Hypothesis (AAT or AAH) argues that the hominid lineages leading to Homo sapiens spent an evolutionarily significant period in an aquatic or semi-aquatic environment. This was first proposed by the marine biologist A.C. Hardy in 1960 ("Was man more aquatic in the past?" _New Scientist_ 7 1960, pp. 642-5), but has been popularised in recent years by Elaine Morgan. Her book _The Scars of Evolution_ is probably the best introduction to the theory. A report on a recent conference on the AAT is _Aquatic Ape: Fact or Fiction?_, Eds. Machteld Roede, Jan Wind, John Patrick, Vernon Reynolds, Souvenir Press 1991.

   The Aquatic Ape theory was the subject of extensive discussion in the USEnet groups sci.anthropology, talk.origins, sci.skeptic and sci.bio during 1993. It also made an appearance on the darwin-l and anthro-l lists.

3. What is the evidence for the Aqatic Ape Hypothesis?
4. What are the problems with the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis?

A volunteer to write these would be appreciated.

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IV: INTRODUCTORY BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Cole, Sonia Mary
  _Leakey's Luck: the Life of Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey_ Collins 1975
  The standard biography.

• Bilsborough, Alan
  _Human Evolution_ Chapman & Hall 1992.
  A comprehensive survey of current evidence,ideas and interpretation of human evolution, with an illustrated account of the fossil record.

• Diamond, Jared
  _The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal_, HarperPerenial 1992
  A description of human evolution and development, with comparisons to our nearest relatives, the chimpanzee and the bonobo.

• Johanson, Donald & Edey, Maitland
  _Lucy, the Beginnings of Humankind_ Touchstone, 1981
  A popular account of the discovery and analysis of one of the oldest human skeletons found.

• Johanson, Donald & Shreeve, James
  _Lucy's Child, The Discovery of a Human Ancestor_, Avon Books 1989
  A popular account of the discovery of a number of fossils at Olduvai Gorge.

• Klein, Richard
  _The Human Career._ University of Chicago Press 1992

• Leakey, Mary
  _Disclosing the Past_ Doubleday 1984
  Autobiography.

• Leakey, Richard
  _Human Origins_ Lodestar Books 1982

• Leakey, Richard & Lewin, Roger
  _People of the Lake: Mankind and its Beginnings_ Anchor Press 1978

  _Origins Reconsidered_ Doubleday 1992

• Lewin, Roger Bones of Contention Penguin 1989
  An popular account of controversies within paleoanthropology this century.

  _In the Age of Mankind_ Smithsonian Books 1988
  A popular summary of human evolution with excellent illustrations.

  _Human Evolution: An Illustrated Introduction_ Blackwell Scientific 1993
  A more technical summary of issues in human evolution.

• Morgan, Elaine _The Descent of Woman_, Souvenir Press 1972
  A defense of woman's place in the evolution of H sapiens. Includes a brief introduction to the Aquatic Ape Theory.

  _The Aquatic Ape_, Souvenir Press 1982
  A description of the Aquatic Ape Theory, consisting largely of anatomical parallels between man and aquatic mammals.

  The Scars of Evolution, Souvenir Press 1990/Penguin 1991
  Essentially an attack on all current theories of human evolution in an attempt to show that AAT is the only theory which fits the evidence.

• Napier, John
  Hands, Princeton University Press 1983
  Includes an account of the evolution of the human hand, and related traits such as tool-use, tool-making and handedness.

• Willis, Delta
  _The Hominid Gang : behind the scenes in the search for human origins_ Viking 1989

Thanks to all those who have contributed to this bibliograpy. Any help fleshing it out further would be most appreciated: basically provide publishing details and a brief summary of any books or articles accessible to the general reader.

Any comments on or suggestions for this FAQ are welcome.