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The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution is a wide-ranging introduction to the human species that places modern humans in evolutionary perspective. Over seventy scholars world-wide have worked on the encyclopedia, covering a range of subjects from genetics, primatology and fossil origins to human biology and ecology, brain function and behaviour, demography and disease. Emphasis is placed throughout on the biological diversity of modern people and the increasing convergence of the fossil and genetic evidence for human evolution that has emerged. Due to the need to look at humankind in the context of our closest relatives, the encyclopedia also pays particular attention to the evolution and ecology of other living primates - lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys and apes. It deals with the evolution and ecology of human society, as reconstructed from archaeological remains, and from studies of tribal peoples and living primates today. It considers the biology of uniquely human abilities such as language and upright walking, and it reviews the biological future of humankind in the face of modern challenges.

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• 1 Introduction: what makes us human?
• 2 Patterns of primate evolution
• 3 The life of primates
• 4 The brain and language
• 5 Primate social organisation
• 6 Human evolution in geological context
• 7 The primate fossil record
• 8 Primate genetics and evolution
• 9 Genetic clues of relatedness
• 10 Early human behaviour and ecology
• 11 Human populations, past and present
• 12 Conclusion: the evolutionary future of humankind

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Booklist Review

What makes us human? The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution draws on the expertise of more than 70 scholars to answer this question, placing modern humans in evolutionary perspective. Divided into 10 parts, such as patterns of primate evolution, the primate fossil record, and early human behavior and ecology, this book resembles a textbook more than an encyclopedia. Each part is further subdivided into such topics as classification of primates, evolution of apes, and how bones reveal diet. Articles average three to five pages in length and include a variety of black-and-white photographs, graphs, and drawings. Each article is signed by a leading academic in the field. See references are used at the end of each article to connect related articles within the volume; however, no references exist to outside sources or primary literature. The volume also provides three appendixes: select biographical information on historical figures, a geologic time scale, and a world map of relevant research sites. The encyclopedia ends with a useful glossary, an excellent list of further readings, and a detailed index. Many library reference collections will already include Milner's Encyclopedia of Evolution [RBB Ja 1 91] and The Encyclopedia of Human Evolution and Prehistory, edited by Tattersall [RBB Fe 1 89]. Both these volumes approach the topic of human evolution with brief articles presented in alphabetical order. They provide quicker access and often unique information on such concepts as aggregation dispersal or on methodology, such as cladistics. In contrast, The Cambridge Encyclopedia covers human ecology through broad topical articles. Topically, this new encyclopedia seems stronger on most behavior issues and provides more extensive attention to the evolution and ecology of relevant living primates, such as lemurs and monkeys. In addition, it is more up-to-date on such controversies as "Mitochondrial Eve." The academic approach and article length of The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution will appeal most to university and research libraries. (Reviewed Aug. 1993)