Handbook of Paleoanthropology

This fully updated and revised 3rd edition of the  Handbook of Palaeoanthropology  provides a truly comprehensive overview of the field. Often cited as the most multidisciplinary of all sciences, palaeoanthropology incorporates a wide range of techniques such as geology, evolutionary biology (change to anthropology) and archaeology. The book presents the full range of current knowledge (add methods and techniques used in the field) and also looks to future developments in this fascinating discipline. It is an excellent resource for students, researchers and practitioners of palaeoanthropology. Guided by a world-class editorial team, the entries reflect the best of contemporary science, also including newer topics such as palaeoproteomics, palaeogenetics and ancient DNA. Each of the three volumes covers the core components of the field:

• Volume I, Principles, Methods, and Approaches; incorporates the enormous advances that have been made in areas such as phylogenetic analysis, palaeoecology, and evolutionary theory and philosophy.
• Volume II, Primate Evolution and Human Origins; integrates primate fossil data with the vast amount that is now known about the behavior and ecology of living primates in natural environments.
• Volume III, Phylogeny of Hominins; deals with the fossil and molecular evidence for the evolution of Homo sapiens and its fossil relatives.

The editors have ensured that the entries uphold a key principle of palaeoanthropology, namely that historical assessments must be updated with evolving knowledge of the living world. Palaeoanthropology is characterised by many lively and unresolved scientific debates, which are reflected in the heterogeneity of intellectual viewpoints in this handbook. This deliberate diversity ensures that this book is a multifaceted, comprehensive companion of inestimable value to students, academics and professionals alike.