PDF Genes; Culture; and Human Evolution: A Synthesis by Linda Stone; Paul F. Lurquin; L. Luca Cavalli-Sforza in History

Review

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating readBy David EwingA complete journey from pre-history to the most recent genetic analysis of human diversity. Some chapters had a technical appeal; such as Chapter 6; Drift migration and qualitative analysis of human genetic diversity.As an enhancement of both Chapter 4; Genetics as a key to human origins and prehistory and Chapter 10; Voyages:Prehistoric human expansions; please permit me to recommend; National Geographic: The Human Family Tree; DVD (96mins.); 2009; as being very useful. The video complimented the text and gives a good introduction to both chapters; further providing visual support to the molecular clock hypothesis and the global diffusion of Homo Sapiens. The exploration work being done in Anatolia Turkey; Catalhoyuk Research Project; a Neolithic agrarian settlement has a website and also adds interest.The scholarship of the authors; their numerous published articles and explanatory expertise is beyond comparison. Every chapter is well planned and the story grows with an intensity. Linda Stone; et al.; reinforced explanations on every turn. I believe this book is something you read several times and learn something different each time. There are so many intricate facts; the total picture; using the most current methods of scientific investigation of genetic and cultural evolution; I couldn't put it down.14 of 16 people found the following review helpful. Excellent Text on a Controversial SubjectBy John MatlockThis text is basically an anthropology textbook on human evolution that integrates the latest biological and cultural research. It comes from the merger of genetic analysis and cultural anthropology. The authors see a co-evolution of genes with culture that helps to define the organism and the environment in which they live in which both are acting as cause and effect.Over recent years the field of anthropology; especially at an undergraduate level has become rather standardized with only minor acknowledgement of new fossil finds. This book goes away from that with it's development of two major themes:1. the substantial and growing contribution of genetics to our understanding of human evolution; and2. the idea that human evolution has been shaped by the interaction between genes and culture.This book does an excellent job of stating the co-evolution or dual inheritance theory. Note that there has been critism of this overall theory; especially from the anthropology and linguistics side.7 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Really good bookBy WunderschoenIt's basically a physical anthropology textbook; dealing with genes and various things we can learn from them. It was very enjoyable to read; and easy to understand. You don't need a background in anthropology or biology to understand what it has to say.