Born in Africa The Quest for the Origins of Human Life

by Meredith, Martin

• ISBN13: 9781610391054
• ISBN10: 1610391055
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-05-08
• Publisher: PublicAffairs

Summary

Africa does not give up its secrets easily. Buried there lie answers about the origins of humankind. After a century of investigation, scientists have transformed our understanding about the beginnings of human life. But vital clues still remain hidden. In Born in Africa, Martin Meredith follows the trail of discoveries about human origins made by scientists over the last hundred years, recounting their intense rivalry, personal feuds, and fierce controversies as well as their feats of skill and endurance. The results have been momentous. Scientists have identified more than twenty species of extinct humans. They have firmly established Africa as the birthplace not only of humankind but also of modern humans. They have revealed how early technology, language ability, and artistic endeavour all originated in Africa; and they have shown how small groups of Africans spread out from Africa in an exodus sixty thousand years ago to populate the rest of the world. We have all inherited an African past.

Author Biography

Martin Meredith is a journalist, biographer, and historian who has written extensively on Africa and its recent history. His previous books include Mandela; Mugabe; Diamonds, Gold, and War; Born in Africa; and The Fate of Africa. He lives near Oxford, England.

Table of Contents

Maps	p. ix
Preface	p. xiii
Introduction	p. xvii
Part 1
The Valley of Wild Sisal	p. 3
Dart's Child	p. 9
Broom's Triumph	p. 23
White African	p. 37
Dear Boy	p. 47
Handy Man	p. 63
Koobi Fora	p. 71
Hadar	p. 83
Laetoli	p. 93
Bones of Contention	p. 105
Turkana Boy	p. 113
A Dance Through Time	p. 121
New Frontiers	p. 129
Little Foot	p. 147
Part 2
Prototypes	p. 155
Pioneers	p. 163
Sapiens	p. 175
Exodus	p. 187
Glossary	p. 195
Notes on Sources	p. 199
Selected Bibliography	p. 207
Index	p. 219
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