The recent discovery of the diminutive Homo floresiensis (nicknamed "the Hobbit") in Indonesia has
sparked new interest in the study of human evolution. In this Very Short Introduction , renowned evolutionary scholar
Bernard Wood traces the history of paleoanthropology from its beginnings in the eighteenth century to today's latest
fossil finds. Along the way we are introduced to the lively cast of characters, past and present, involved in evolutionary
research. Although concentrating on the fossil evidence for human evolution, the book also covers the latest genetic
evidence about regional variations in the modern human genome that relate to our evolutionary history. Wood draws
on over thirty years of experience to provide an insiders view of the field, and demonstrates that our understanding
of human evolution is critically dependent on advances in related sciences such as paleoclimatology, geochronology,
systematics, genetics, and developmental biology. This is an ideal introduction for anyone interested in the origins
and development of man.