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Seven skeletons : the evolution of the world's most famous human fossils / Lydia Pyne.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York, New York : Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, [2016]Copyright date: ©2016Description: 276 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780525429852
  • 0525429859
Subject(s):
Contents:
Introduction. Famous fossils, hidden histories -- The old man of La Chapelle: the patriarch of paleo -- Piltdown: a name without a fossil -- The Taung Child: the rise of a folk hero -- Peking Man: a curious case of paleo-noir -- The ascension of an icon: Lucy in the sky -- The precious: Flo's life as a hobbit -- Sediba: TBD (to be determined) -- Afterword. O fortuna!: a bit of luck, a bit of skill.
Summary: "A science historian describes seven famous ancestral fossils that have become known around the world, including the three-foot tall "hobbit" from Flores, the Neanderthal of La Chapelle, the Taung Child, the Piltdown Man hoax, Peking Man, Australopithecus sediba and Lucy,"--NoveList.Summary: "Over the last century, the search for human ancestors has spanned four continents and resulted in the discovery of hundreds of fossils. Most of these discoveries live quietly in museum collections, but some have become celebrities, embraced by wide audiences and held as touchstones in how we understand our human origins. In Seven Skeletons, historian of science Lydia Pyne explores how seven of them gained their fame. Pyne introduces readers to the Neanderthal of La Chapelle, the prototype for one hundred years of caveman caricatures; the Piltdown Man, Charles Dawson's 'dawn-ape,' accepted by the scientific establishment for forty years before it was revealed to be an elaborate hoax; the Taung Child, a tiny skull whose renown rests on the doggedness of its discoverer; bones from China collectively known as Peking Man, lost forever during World War II; Lucy, named for the Beatles song and an icon of evolution; the three-foot-tall 'hobbit' from Flores, Indonesia; and 2008's Australopithecus sediba, a fossil with its own Twitter account. Drawing from paleoanthropology, interviews, museum exhibitions, science fiction, and even poetry, Pyne brings to life each fossil. She also captures their equally important, and compelling, afterlife--how they are described, put on display, and shared among scientific communities and the broader public. Some fossils, such as the Taung Child, sparked debates over the elusive 'missing link' between humans and apes. Others, like Lucy, become the fossil that all new discoveries are measured against. Seven Skeletons puts the impact of paleoanthropology into new context--a joyful reminder of how our past as a species continues to affect, in astonishing ways, our present culture and imagination."--Dust jacket.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Dr. James Carlson Library NonFiction 569.9 P997 Available 33111008546695
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

An irresistible journey of discovery, science, history, and myth making, told through the lives and afterlives of seven famous human ancestors

Over the last century, the search for human ancestors has spanned four continents and resulted in the discovery of hundreds of fossils. While most of these discoveries live quietly in museum collections, there are a few that have become world-renowned celebrity personas--ambassadors of science that speak to public audiences. In Seven Skeletons , historian of science Lydia Pyne explores how seven such famous fossils of our ancestors have the social cachet they enjoy today.

Drawing from archives, museums, and interviews, Pyne builds a cultural history for each celebrity fossil--from its discovery to its afterlife in museum exhibits to its legacy in popular culture. These seven include the three-foot tall "hobbit" from Flores, the Neanderthal of La Chapelle, the Taung Child, the Piltdown Man hoax, Peking Man, Australopithecus sediba , and Lucy--each embraced and celebrated by generations, and vivid examples of how discoveries of how our ancestors have been received, remembered, and immortalized.

With wit and insight, Pyne brings to life each fossil, and how it is described, put on display, and shared among scientific communities and the broader public. This fascinating, endlessly entertaining book puts the impact of paleoanthropology into new context, a reminder of how our past as a species continues to affect, in astounding ways, our present culture and imagination.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction. Famous fossils, hidden histories -- The old man of La Chapelle: the patriarch of paleo -- Piltdown: a name without a fossil -- The Taung Child: the rise of a folk hero -- Peking Man: a curious case of paleo-noir -- The ascension of an icon: Lucy in the sky -- The precious: Flo's life as a hobbit -- Sediba: TBD (to be determined) -- Afterword. O fortuna!: a bit of luck, a bit of skill.

"A science historian describes seven famous ancestral fossils that have become known around the world, including the three-foot tall "hobbit" from Flores, the Neanderthal of La Chapelle, the Taung Child, the Piltdown Man hoax, Peking Man, Australopithecus sediba and Lucy,"--NoveList.

"Over the last century, the search for human ancestors has spanned four continents and resulted in the discovery of hundreds of fossils. Most of these discoveries live quietly in museum collections, but some have become celebrities, embraced by wide audiences and held as touchstones in how we understand our human origins. In Seven Skeletons, historian of science Lydia Pyne explores how seven of them gained their fame. Pyne introduces readers to the Neanderthal of La Chapelle, the prototype for one hundred years of caveman caricatures; the Piltdown Man, Charles Dawson's 'dawn-ape,' accepted by the scientific establishment for forty years before it was revealed to be an elaborate hoax; the Taung Child, a tiny skull whose renown rests on the doggedness of its discoverer; bones from China collectively known as Peking Man, lost forever during World War II; Lucy, named for the Beatles song and an icon of evolution; the three-foot-tall 'hobbit' from Flores, Indonesia; and 2008's Australopithecus sediba, a fossil with its own Twitter account. Drawing from paleoanthropology, interviews, museum exhibitions, science fiction, and even poetry, Pyne brings to life each fossil. She also captures their equally important, and compelling, afterlife--how they are described, put on display, and shared among scientific communities and the broader public. Some fossils, such as the Taung Child, sparked debates over the elusive 'missing link' between humans and apes. Others, like Lucy, become the fossil that all new discoveries are measured against. Seven Skeletons puts the impact of paleoanthropology into new context--a joyful reminder of how our past as a species continues to affect, in astonishing ways, our present culture and imagination."--Dust jacket.

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