Villmoare The Evolution of Everything

The Patterns and Causes of Big History
Erscheinungsjahr 2021
ISBN: 978-1-108-85214-2
Verlag: Cambridge University Press
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch

Big History seeks to retell the human story in light of scientific advances by such methods as radiocarbon dating and genetic analysis. This book provides a deep, causal view of the forces that have shaped the universe, the earth, and humanity. Starting with the Big Bang and the formation of the earth, it traces the evolutionary history of the world, focusing on humanity's origins. It also explores the many natural forces shaping humanity, especially the evolution of the brain and behaviour. Moving through time, the causes of such important transformations as agriculture, complex societies, the industrial revolution, the enlightenment, and modernity are placed in the context of underlying changes in demography, learning, and social organization. Humans are biological creatures, operating with instincts evolved millions of years ago, but in the context of a rapidly changing world, and as we try to adapt to new circumstances, we must regularly reckon with our deep past.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Villmoare, Brian

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Wissenschaftstheorie, Wissenschaftsphilosophie
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtswissenschaft Allgemein
• Geowissenschaften Geologie Paläontologie, Taphonomie
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Moderne Philosophische Disziplinen Philosophische Anthropologie
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Evolutionsbiologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Part I. Introduction to the Scientific Perspective on the Past: 1. Introduction; 2. The universe; 3. The earth; 4. Life; 5. Evolution; 6. Genetics; 7. Multicellular life; 8. The Cambrian explosion; 9. Fish and land animals; 10. Protohumans; 11. The genus homo; 12. Human variation; 13. Evolution and human behavior; 14. Brain evolution; 15. Chaos and complexity; Part II. Introduction: 16. The Neolithic; 17. States and nations; 18. Religion and philosophy; 19. The enlightenment; 20. The industrial revolution; 21. Economics; 22. Globalism: money and power; 23. Modernity; 24. Prospects for the future.

Über Autor(innen)

Villmoare, Brian
Brian Villmoare is Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His research interests range from broad questions of evolutionary theory to high-resolution studies of the hominin face. His current research projects include studying the role of selection and genetics in evolutionary change and extinction, the specific evolutionary constraints and selection pressures responsible for hominin craniofacial form, and paleoanthropological field work in Ethiopia. In 2012 his team discovered the oldest fossil specimen of our genus, Homo. The idea for the proposed book has come about as a result of the course he teaches at UNLV, 'The Evolution of Everything', which fulfils a general science requirement. The astronomical universe, the earth, and life, and the place of humanity in this universe, are studied across a disparate variety of disciplines, including astronomy, physics, geology, chemistry, biology, botany, genetics, palaeontology, anthropology, history, psychology, economics, and political science.