The climate connection : climate change and modern human evolution /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:	Hetherington, Renée.
Imprint:	Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2010.
Description:	xviii, 422 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.) ; 26 cm.
Language:	English
Subject:	Human beings -- Effect of climate on. Human evolution. Climatic changes. Biological Evolution. Climate Change. Hominidae. Climatic changes. Human beings -- Effect of climate on. Human evolution.
Format:	Print Book
URL for this record:	http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/8123024

Hidden Bibliographic Details
Other authors / contributors:	Reid, Robert G. B., 1939-
ISBN:	9780521197700 (hbk.) 0521197708 (hbk.) 9780521147231 (pbk.) 0521147239 (pbk.)
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references (p. 357-406) and index.
Summary:	"The Climate Connection highlights the influence of saltatory evolution and rapid climate change on human evolution, migration and behavioural change. Growing concern over the potential impacts of climate change on our future is clearly evident. In order to better understand our present circumstances and deal effectively with future climate change, society needs to become more informed about the historical connection between climate and humans. The authors' combined research in the fields of climate change, evolutionary biology, Earth sciences and human migration and behaviour complement each other, and have facilitated an innovative and integrated approach to the human evolution - climate connection." "The Climate Connection provides an in-depth text linking 135 000 years of climate change with human evolution and implications for our future, for those working and interested in the field and those embarking on upper-level courses on this topic."--BOOK JACKET.

Table of Contents:

Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
1.1. The climate connection
1.2. Earth's changing climate
1.3. Climate and humans
1.4. Climate and species dominance
1.5. What can be learned from evolutionary history?
1.6. Back to the future
Part I. Early human history
2. From ape to human: the emergence of hominins
2.1. Introduction
2.2. The emergence of anatomically 'modern' humans
2.3. Conclusion
3. Human behavioural evolution
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Interpreting behaviour from the archaeological record
3.3. Early stone tool industries of the genus Homo
3.4. The origins of human behaviour
3.5. Language and foresight
3.6. General intelligence or cognitive capacities
3.7. The bigger picture
3.8. Corollary on social stratification
4. The migrations and diaspora of Homo
4.1. Introduction
4.2. Out of Africa - population expansions and bottlenecks
4.3. The Middle East
4.4. Europe
4.5. Asia
4.6. Australia and New Guinea
4.7. The Americas
4.8. Islands of the Pacific
4.9. Concluding thoughts
Part II. Climate during the last glacial cycle
5. Climate change over the last 135 000 years
5.1. Introduction
5.2. Climate change forcing mechanisms
5.3. Identifying climate change and its impacts
5.4. Modelling with the UVic Earth system climate model
5.5. Climate during the origin and dispersal of Homo sapiens
5.6. Conclusion
6. The effect of 135 000 years of changing climate on the global landscape
6.1. Introduction
6.2. Marine isotope stage 6 - the changing environment of Africa, the birthplace of Homo sapiens
6.3. Marine isotope stage 5e - the Eemian interglacial
6.4. Marine isotope stage 5d
6.5. Marine isotope stage 5c
6.6. Marine isotope stage 5b
6.7. Marine isotope stage 5a
6.8. Marine isotope stage 4
6.9. Marine isotope stage 3
6.10. Marine isotope stage 2 - the last glacial maximum
6.11. The Holocene
6.12. Conclusion
Part III. The interaction between climate and humans
7. The interaction between climate and humans
7.1. Introduction
7.2. Marine isotope stage 6 (150 000-135 000 years ago) - its impact on newly emerged modern humans
7.3. The last glacial cycle and the migration of modern humans out of Africa
7.4. The Holocene (11 650-AD 1800) - population expansion and the rise of agriculture and domestication
7.5. Conclusion
8. Climate and agriculture
8.1. Introduction
8.2. Animal and plant domestication
8.3. Climate forcing mechanisms and key events and their influence on agriculture
8.4. Case histories
8.5. Conclusions
9. Climate and our future
9.1. What then of the effects of climate change?
9.2. Modern humans' capacity to evolve and adjust
9.3. The climate connection: human vulnerability to rapid climate change and adaptability
Appendices: The biological background to the story of evolution
Appendix A. Evolutionary theory
A.1. Aspects of evolutionary theory
A.2. Emergence theory
A.3. Contrasts between the selectionist and emergentist views of evolution
Appendix B. Developmental evolution
B.1. Introduction
B.2. Epigenesis and epigenetics
B.3. Epigenetic modes
B.4. Neoteny and foetalization in humans
B.5. The role of neural crest and nerve cells
B.6. Bipedalism
B.7. Genetic assimilation
B.8. The genome as a generator of evolutionary potential
B.9. Humanness
B.10. Epigenetic algorithms
B.11. Environmental causes of epigenetic change
B.12. Evolutionary changes through changes in methylation patterns
B.13. Self-amplifying genomic changes as evolutionary processes
Appendix C. Human adaptability: the physiological foundation
C.1. Introduction
C.2. Homeostasis
C.3. The homeostasis of placental mammals
C.4. How placental physiology relates to la vie libre
C.5. How la vie libre relates to diversifying evolution in placental mammals
C.6. The history of physiological evolution and environment
C.7. Environment, diet and development
C.8. The homeostasis paradox
C.9. The primate lineage: neurophysiology; neocortical expansion; foetalization of hominids
C.10. Comparison of the adaptability and adaptations of humans and other placentals: generalization vs. specialization
C.11. Adaptability or variability?
C.12. Summary of environmental impacts on humans - from molecules to mayhem
References
Index

The climate connection : climate change and modern human evolution /

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