Wiley-Blackwell Student Dictionary of Human Evolution

Not so long ago, all a student studying human evolution needed was a familiarity with the relatively sparse fossil record and what limited information there was about the context of the sites, a basic knowledge of gross anatomy and archeology, and an understanding of simple analytical methods.

Times have changed. The fossil recordhas grown exponentially, imaging techniques have advanced dramatically, quantitative methods have burgeoned, and molecular biology has revolutionized our understanding of genetics, evolutionary history, and development. Added to this are advances in the archeological, biological, and earth sciences that help interpret the context of the fossil evidence and reconstruct behavior. But presently there is nowhere students of human evolution cna easily find out about topics as disparate as ameloblast, Coopers Cave, daily secretion rate, the effect hypothesis, homeobox genes, insolation, phylogenetically independent contrasts, quantitative trait locus, semicircular canals, and tephrostratigraphy.

TheWiley Blackwell Student Dictionary of Human Evolution contains upwards of 2500 entries, all drafted with an eye on the student user. It is an indispensable source for those studying human evolution.

Keywords: Bernard Wood; Blackwell Dictionary of Human Evolution; Encyclopedia of Human Evolution and Prehistory; Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution; History of Physical Anthropology; fossil record; orbital insolation; OSL dating; Coopers Cave; Hox genes, Biological Anthropology, Human Genetics, Biological Anthropology, Human Genetics