Our Primate Past: Exploring our Evolutionary and Archaeological History

Combining perspectives from palaeontology, evolutionary biology, primatology, zooarchaeology and the history of science, Our Primate Past explores the evolutionary history of the primate order and our place within it. Spanning more than 65 million years, it examines the incredible diversity of the primate family tree, from the interaction between humans and recently extinct giant lemurs on Madagascar, through the rise and decline of apes across Africa and Eurasia, to the dispersal of monkeys into the Americas. Organized into 8 interconnected chapters, this book provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of every major primate group and their evolutionary diversity. It explores topics including: – The evolutionary origins, diversification and global dispersal of primates – The diversity, adaptations and behaviour of living and extinct primates – Human-primate relationships through time: art, culture, disease and hunting – Climate change, conservation and the future of primate biodiversity Drawing on the latest fossil discoveries, archaeological evidence and scientific advances, Towle provides an up-to-date synthesis of primate evolution. Each chapter combines an overview of a major primate group with a broader evolutionary theme, while also exploring the changing relationships between humans and other primates through time. Designed for students and instructors, Our Primate Past provides an engaging, evidence-based introduction to primate evolution and offers a broader perspective on humanity’s place within the primate order.