Humankind: How Biology and Geography Shape Human Diversity - Rilegato

Harcourt, Alexander H.

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 1605987840 ISBN 13: 9781605987842

Casa editrice: Pegasus Books, 2015

Riassunto

Where did the human species originate? Why are tropical peoples much more diverse than those at polar latitudes? Why can only Japanese peoples digest seaweed? How are darker skin, sunlight, and fertility related? Did Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens ever interbreed? In Humankind, U. C. Davis professor Alexander Harcourt answers these questions and more, as he explains how the expansion of the human species around the globe and our interaction with our environment explains much about why humans differ from one region of the world to another, not only biologically, but culturally.What effects have other species had on the distribution of humans around the world, and we, in turn, on their distribution? And how have human populations affected each other’s geography, even existence? For the first time in a single book, Alexander Harcourt brings these topics together to help us understand why we are, what we are, where we are.It turns out that when one looks at humanity's expansion around the world, and in the biological explanations for our geographic diversity, we humans are often just another primate. Humanity's distribution around the world and the type of organism we are today has been shaped by the same biogeographical forces that shape other species.

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Recensione:

Harcourt engages with the physical differences between human bodies and the cultural and medical implications of them, addressing such topics as why skin tone varies from region to region or the biological basis of why certain populations have evolved to better digest milk, starches, or seaweed. Harcourt reminds readers that biological conceptions of race should not be confused with sociopolitical conceptions of it, and that there are good reasons to understand the how and why of our biological differences. --Publishers Weekly

L'autore:

Alexander H. Harcourt is Professor Emeritus in the Anthropology Department at the University of California, Davis. He is the coauthor of "Gorilla Society" and coeditor of "Coalitions and Alliances in Humans and Other Animals."

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Pegasus Books
• Data di pubblicazione: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1605987840
• ISBN 13: 9781605987842
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 324