Understanding evolutionary processes requires knowledge of the context in which specific events took place, including the chronological and the environmental contexts. Contributions to this special issue of 'Folia Primatologica' highlight the importance of an accurate chronological context for interpretations of the origins of primates and of their response to the onset of Cenozoic global cooling. They discuss the influence of palaeogeography and climate change on the first appearance of primates in the fossil record, the evolution and dispersals of the Miocene apes and of early representatives of the genus 'Homo', the Old World monkey radiation and primate visual signalling. Also considered is the effect humans are now having on the course of primate evolution, as seen in recent megafaunal extinctions in Madagascar and as exemplified by the complexity of parameters involved in informing future conservation strategies. The broad taxonomic, chronological and methodological scope of this publication creates a valuable overview of the diversity of environmental parameters involved in shaping primate evolution. It encourages new perspectives and highlights important areas for future interdisciplinary research in evolutionary primatology.

The hominin fossil record documents a history of critical evolutionary events that have ultimately shaped and defined what it means to be human, including the origins of bipedalism; the emergence of our genus Homo; the first use of stone tools; increases in brain size; and the emergence of Homo sapiens, tools, and culture. The Earth's geological record suggests that some evolutionary events were coincident with substantial changes in African and Eurasian climate, raising the possibility that critical junctures in human evolution and behavioral development may have been affected by the environmental characteristics of the areas where hominins evolved. Understanding Climate's Change on Human Evolution explores the opportunities of using scientific research to improve our understanding of how climate may have helped shape our species. Improved climate records for specific regions will be required before it is possible to evaluate how critical resources for hominins, especially water and vegetation, would have been distributed on the landscape during key intervals of hominin history. Existing records contain substantial temporal gaps. The book's initiatives are presented in two major research themes: first, determining the impacts of climate change and climate variability on human evolution and dispersal; and second, integrating climate modeling, environmental records, and biotic responses. Understanding Climate's Change on Human Evolution suggests a new scientific program for international climate and human evolution studies that involve an exploration initiative to locate new fossil sites and to broaden the geographic and temporal sampling of the fossil and archeological record; a comprehensive and integrative scientific drilling program in lakes, lake bed outcrops, and ocean basins surrounding the regions where hominins evolved and a major investment in climate modeling experiments for key time intervals and regions that are critical to understanding human evolution.

Where did we come from? What were our ancestors like? Why do we differ from other animals? How do scientists trace and construct our evolutionary history? The Evolution of Our Tribe: Hominini provides answers to these questions and more. The book explores the field of paleoanthropology past and present. Beginning over 65 million years ago, Welker traces the evolution of our species, the environments and selective forces that shaped our ancestors, their physical and cultural adaptations, and the people and places involved with their discovery and study. It is designed as a textbook for a course on Human Evolution but can also serve as an introductory text for relevant sections of courses in Biological or General Anthropology or general interest. It is both a comprehensive technical reference for relevant terms, theories, methods, and species and an overview of the people, places, and discoveries that have imbued paleoanthropology with such fascination, romance, and mystery.

This book provides a novel focus on adaptive explanations for cranial and postcranial features and functional complexes, socioecological systems, life history patterns, etc. in early primates. It further offers a detailed rendering of the phylogenetic affinities of such basal taxa to later primate clades as well as to other early/recent mammalian orders. In addition to the strictly paleontological or systemic questions regarding Primate Origins, the editors concentrate on the adaptive significance of primate characteristics. Thus, the book provides the broadest possible perspective on early primate phylogeny and the adaptive uniqueness of the Order Primates.

Primate Adaptation and Evolutionis the only recent text published in this rapidly progressing field. It provides you with an extensive, current survey of the order Primates, both living and fossil. By combining information on primate anatomy, ecology, and behavior with the primate fossil record, this book enables students to study primates from all epochs as a single, viable group. It surveys major primate radiations throughout 65 million years, and provides equal treatment of both living and extinct species. ï Presents a summary of the primate fossilsï Reviews primate evolutionï Provides an introduction to the primate anatomyï Discusses the features that distinguish the living groups of primatesï Summarizes recent work on primate ecology

Many complex traits define the primate condition, including behaviors as fundamental as locomotion and traits as scrutinized as the dentition, and their study reveals dramatic evolutionary change across the primates. Genetic modifications are at the basis of these changes, but transformation of genetic information into phenotypes occurs at the level of the cell, which is the focus of this book. Contributors summarize novel methodologies to analyze the collective behavior of cells in forming tissues and organs influencing physiological functions and anatomical features that enable behaviors. Our goal is to review current knowledge and encourage others to adopt evolutionary cell biology to aid in deciphering the genotype-phenotype map that underlies the diversification of primates, human variation, and human evolution. The contributors to this book utilize advances in genetic analysis and visualization of cells and tissues and merge evolutionary developmental biology with evolutionary cell biology to address questions central to understanding human and primate evolution. Key Features Explores mechanisms underlying trait development, distribution, variation, and evolution, especially with respect to pigmentation, dental formulae, the skeleton, energetics, and temperature-related morphological variation Documents the advantages for anthropologists to work at the level of cells, focusing on how genes provide instructions for cells to make structure and how environment affects the behavior of cells Illustrates the role cell biology plays in pelage growth and pigmentation, facial morphology, melanin production in pigmentation, dental development and tooth loss, and energy expenditure Describes novel methodologies and techniques to analyze environment- and temperature-related influences on phenotypes Demonstrates how significant changes in life history occur at the level of the cell Related Titles Bianchi, L. Developmental Neurobiology (ISBN 978-0-8153-4482-7) King, G. R. Primate Behavior and Human Origins (ISBN 978-1-138-85317-1) Rhys Evans, P. H. The Waterside Ape: An Alternate Account of Human Evolution (ISBN 978-0-367-14548-4)