The Rise of Humans: Great Scientific Debates

By: John Hawks, The Great Courses

Narrated by: John Hawks

Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Trying to understand our human origins has always been a fundamental part of who we are. Today, with the help of dramatic archaeological discoveries and groundbreaking advancements in technology and scientific understanding, we are closer than we've ever been to learning the true story. In recent decades, it has been the science of paleoanthropology that has led the investigation, helping us make sense of this controversial subject and providing us with a richer understanding of our origins. It's also sparked continued debate about key issues in human evolution.

• Did early humans evolve in Africa alone, or in regions throughout the world?
• Did Neandertals play an important role in our genetic heritage and, if so, how?
• Why did prehistoric humans form cooperative communities and create art?

Now you can complete your own understanding of these issues in a fascinating 24-lecture series from an expert paleoanthropologist, who surveys both the questions that continue to rile the world's greatest minds in anthropology and the cutting-edge science responsible for them. The result is this expert guide to the wide-ranging debates over the most profound questions we can ask. Each lecture focuses on a single one of these questions and the sometimes surprising, sometimes fierce, and always illuminating debates surrounding them, including whether it was Africa or Asia that was more central to human origins, what prehistoric cultural groups were really like, and when humans actually reached the New World.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2011 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2011 The Great Courses

Great look at human evolution and genetics

Absolutely loved this. Accessible, engaging, up-to-date. Highly recommended. it was especially nice to have an episode on Homo floresiensis.

Very relative to today's study of anthropology

I really enjoyed the series of lectures. The concert was extremely religious to today's study that's apology. Dr. hugs delivery of the lectures were highly enjoyable and delivered the information in in format that was easy to follow. I highly recommend the series of lectures.

Lessons from the past

Professor John Hawks not only created this unbelievable set of 24 lessons, but also narrated it perfectly. Some very intelligent authors can write extremely well, but few have the ability to present it to listener not educated in anthropology and still leave you believing you understood his story. Professor Hawks is not only prolific, but easy to understand. I was blown away with the detail, and yet I could understand it. Learning about how science knows what it knows, and then following the archeological evidence from the very first traces in bone structure to the present-day DNA analysis, in migration out of Africa, through Europe and across Asia, Java and finally to the Americas. I give the Rise of Humans 5 stars all the way. The topics are not for everyone. There is no religious context in his presentation, it is about tracing history across the planet over 3 billion years. Here are just a few of the topics detailed such as Lucy, Peking Man, Neanderthals & even Piltdown Man. The topics are not for the faint of heart as there is allot of anatomy and anthropological terms, but if you are really prepared to learn, Professor John Hawks should be your teacher. I have listened through this audio twice, and I was so impressed that I plan to purchase the hard copy for the drawings & photos of lessons from the past.

The great journey in the origin of homo sapiens

24 informative well organized lectures dedicated to the evolution of the hominid starting from Ardipithecus and ending up with the only surviving species in the genus homo, homo sapiens.
I recommended it to anyone interested in knowing about the origin of homo sapiens

Fascinating Overview of Human Evolution

Professor Hawks did an outstanding job presenting one of the most interesting topics for us as humans: How we got here.

I cannot fault any part of this course. He presented all sides of the debates of the evolution of man. His lectures were brilliant and gripping, and the cherry on top of this great work was that he avoided all of the pitfalls that politics and ideology present, which would only serve to detract from the real science of the matter. He makes clear that it is genetics that has recently been at the forefront of the science of human origin and evolution, and it promises much more to come. I think there are still some amazing surprises in store. I wish him luck in his endeavors.

I rarely give reviews, but his is one I felt I must do. I cannot recommend this more.

Current to spring 2014. Good science up to date.

Writer is an expert in paleo-anthropology and biology through genomics. This course is current through denosovia and Florencia. A detailed exploration of who we are and from whence we came. Highly recommended..

Better than an introductory physical anthro course

Professor Hawks course is comprehensive, up-to-date, and well told. He is a good narrator. Highly recommended Great Courses listen!

excellent

I loved it. the professor's voice was very pleasant. I would recommend anyone to listen to it.

solid history

one of the best courses on human evolution and historic migration
the lecturer is enjoyable.

Great walk-through paleontology debates

Great explanations on how paleontologist study fossils and compare them with us, including classic and genetic evidences. Some of the debates the professor mentioned I did not even know they were debates at all. Very easy to listen to, highly recommended.