From tools to symbols : from early hominids to modern humans ; in honour of professor Phillip V. Tobias

From Tools to Symbols represents an excellent synthesis of recent research on the origins of humankind, the evolution of the human brain and the emergence of modern human cultures from a number of disciplines. It is based on collaborative research by South African, French, American and German scholars, and contains twenty-seven essays presented at a conference organized in 2003 in honor of the well-known palaeoanthropologist Phillip Tobias. Lucinda Backwell is a researcher in the School of Geosciences at the University of the Witwatersrand. Francesco d'Errico is Director of Research at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Research Professor at the Department of Anthropology, George Washington University. [book Title] Represents An Excellent Synthesis Of Recent Research On The Origins Of Humankind, The Evolution Of The Human Brain And The Emergence Of Modern Human Cultures From A Number Of Disciplines Such As Palaeoanthropology, Genetics, Primatology, And Archaeology--back Cover. Searching For Common Ground In Palaeoanthropology, Archaeology And Genetics / Francesco D'errico And Lucinda R. Backwell -- The History Of A Special Relationship: Prehistoric Terminology And Lithic Technology Between The French And South African Research Traditions / Nathan Schlanger -- Essential Attributes Of Any Technologically Competent Animal / Charles K. Brain -- Significant Tools And Signifying Monkeys: The Question Of Body Techniques And Elementary Actions On Matter Among Apes And Early Hominids / Frederic Joulian -- Tools And Brains: Which Came First? / Phillip V. Tobias -- Environmental Changes And Hominid Evolution: What The Vegetation Tells Us / Marion K. Bamford -- Implications Of The Presence Of African Ape-like Teeth In The Miocene Of Kenya / Martin Pickford And Brigitte Senut -- Dawn Of Hominids: Understanding The Ape-hominid Dichotomy / Brigitte Senut -- The Impact Of New Excavations From The Cradle Of Humankind On Our Understanding Of The Evolution Of Hominins And Their Cultures / Lee R. Berger -- Stone Age Signatures In Northernmost South Africa: Early Archaeology In The Mapungubwe National Park Vicinity / Kathleen Kuman -- Vertebral Column, Bipedalism And Freedom Of The Hands / Dominque Gommery -- Characterising Early Homo: Cladistic, Morphological And Metrical Analyses Of The Original Plio-pleistocene Specimen / Sandrine Prat -- Early Homo, 'robust' Australopithecines And Stone Tools At Kromdraai, South Africa / Francis Thackeray And Jose Braga. The Origin Of Bone Tool Technology And The Identification Of Early Hominid Cultural Traditions / Lucinda Backwell And Francesco D'errico -- Contribution Of Genetics To The Study Of Human Origins / Himla Soodyall And Trefor Jenkins -- An Overview Of The Patterns Of Behavioural Change In Africa And Eurasia During The Middle And Late Pleistocene / Nichals J. Conard -- From The Tropics To The Colder Climates: Contrasting Faunal Exploitation Adaptations Of Modern Humans And Neanderthals / Curtis W. Marean -- New Neighbours: Interaction And Image-making During The West European Middle To Upper Palaeolithic Transition / David Lewis-williams -- Late Mousterian Lithic Technology: Its Implications For The Pace Of The Emergence Of Behavioural Modernity And The Relationship Between Behavioural Modernity And Biological Modernity / Marie Soressi -- Exploring And Quantifying Technological Differences Between The Msa I, Msa Ii And Howieson's Poort At Klasies River / Sarah Wurz -- Stratigraphic Integrity Of The Middle Stone Age Levels At Blombos Cave / Christopher Henshilwood -- Testing And Demonstrating The Stratigraphic Integrity Of Artefacts Of Msa Deposits At Blomobs Cave, South Africa / Zenobia Jacobs -- From Tool To Symbol: The Behavioural Context Of Intentionally Marked Ostrich Eggshell From Diepkloof, Western Cape / John Parkington -- Chronology Of The Howieson's Poort And Still Bay Techno-complexes: Assessment And New Data From Luminescence / Chantal Tribolo, Norbert Mercier And Helen Vallada -- Subsistence Strategies In The Middle Stone Age At Sibudu Cave: The Microscopic Evidence From Stone Tool Residues / Bonny S. Williamson -- Speaking With Beads: The Evolutionary Significance Of Personal Ornaments / Marian Vanhaeren. Edited By Francesco D'errico And Lucinda Backwell ; In Honour Of Professor Phillip V. Tobias. This Book Is The Outcome Of A Conference, Held At The University Of The Witwatersrand, 16-18 March 2003. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes.