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 record has 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.

The Wiley 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.

Preface and Acknowledgments vi

Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Human Evolution viii

Hominin Fossil Abbreviations ix

A 1

B 27

C 47

D 86

E 103

F 124

G 144

H 166

I 200

J 209

K 212

L 227

M 249

N 288

O 300

P 318

Q 364

R 366

S.380

T 419

U 442

V 447

W 453

X 458

Y 459

Z 460

"There is a lot of information in it and the topics are well-described. As the title makes explicit, it is aimed at students, but it would be of use to anyone with more than a passing interest in human evolution. Even the expert might find it useful for the listing of fossils and sites." (Reference Reviews 2015) Bernard Wood is the Henry R. Luce Professor of Human Origins in the Department of Anthropology at George Washington University, and Adjunct Senior Scientist at the National Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institution. He is a medically-qualified paleoanthropologist who moved into full-time academic life in 1972. He holds the degrees of B.Sc., M.D., Ph.D., and D.Sc. from The University of London. In 1982 he was appointed to the S.A. Courtauld Chair of Anatomy in The University of London, and in 1985 he moved to the Derby Chair of Anatomy and to the Chairmanship of the Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Liverpool. He was appointed the Dean of The University of Liverpool Medical School in 1995 and served as Dean until his move to Washington in the fall of 1997.When he was still a medical student he joined Richard Leakey's first expedition to what was then Lake Rudolf in 1968 and he has remained associated with that research group, and pursued research in paleoanthropology, ever since. His research centers on increasing our understanding of human evolutionary history by developing and improving the ways we analyze the hominid fossil record. He is the author of numerous publications and Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology at GWU. Once upon a time, say 50 years ago, the only background you needed in order to appreciate what was known about human evolution was a familiarity with a relatively sparse hominid fossil record, what limited information there was about the context of the sites, some knowledge of gross anatomy and simple analytical methods, and an appreciation of general evolutionary principles.

Times have changed. The fossil record has grown exponentially, imaging techniques have advanced dramatically, quantitative methods have burgeoned, molecular biology has revolutionized our understanding of genetics, evolutionary history, and development, and developments across the sciences have enriched the evidence that is available. In short, the scope and volume of evidence and the range of methods used to analyze it, that paleoanthropologists, be they students or practitioners, need to be familiar with have grown by at least an order of magnitude in the past few decades. But at present there is nowhere students and researchers involved in human evolution research, be they archeologists, earth scientists, molecular biologists, paleoanthropologists, paleontologists, or paleoecologists can easily find out about topics as disparate as ameloblast daily secretion rates, Coopers Cave, the Effect Hypothesis, exact randomization, Hox genes, independent contrasts, orbital insolation, OSL dating, quantitative trait loci, semicircular canal size and shape, tephrostratigraphy and trabecular

The Blackwell Dictionary of Human Evolution is designed to fill this niche. The Dictionary will contain 1500 (TBD) entries produced explicitly and without jargon for those new to the subject and includes timelines, over 100 illustrations, and maps. An indispensable tool for those studying human evolution.