Overview

The last decade has witnessed a sophistication and proliferation in the number of studies focused on the evolution of human cognition, reflecting a renewed interest in the evolution of the human mind in anthropology and in many other disciplines such as cognitive ethnology and evolutionary psychology. The complexity and enormity of this topic is such that it requires the coordinated efforts of many researchers. This volume brings together the disciplines of palaeontology, psychology, anatomy, and primatology. Together they address a number of issues, including the evolution of sex differences in spatial cognition, the role of archaeology in the cognitive sciences, the relationships between brain size, cranial reorganization and hominid cognition, and the role of language and information processing in human evolution.Contributors include: A Martin Byers, Philip Chase, Iain Davidson, Francesco d'Errico, Deborah Forster, Gordon G Gallup, Jr. Sean C Hogan, Trenton W Holliday, Harry Jerison, Philip Lieberman, William Noble, April Nowell, Richard Potts, Christopher B Ruff, Katerina Semendeferi, Shirley C Strum, Phillip Tobias, Erik Trinkaus, Anne H Weaver, and Thomas Wynn.

Full Product Details

Author:   April Nowell
Publisher:   International Monographs in Prehistory
Imprint:   International Monographs in Prehistory
Volume:   13
ISBN:  

9781879621312

ISBN 10:   1879621312
Pages:   200
Publication Date:   01 January 2001
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

List of Contributors Forward Philip Tobias Acknowledgments Introduction April Nowell PART I: ARCHAEOLOGY AND COGNITIVE SCIENCE Chapter 1. The Role of Archaeology in Cognitive Science Thomas Wynn Chapter 2. The Re-Emergence of Cognitive Archaeology April Nowell PART II: ON THE GROUND: INTERPRETING MATERIAL AND NON-MATERIAL ARTIFACTS Chapter 3. Memories out of Mind: The archaeology of the oldest memory systems Francesco d'Errico Chapter 4. A Pragmatic View of the Emergence of Paleolithic Symbol Using Martin Byers Chapter 5. Nonmaterial Artifacts: A Distributed Approach to Mind Shirley Strum and Deborah Forster PART III: PALEONEUROLOGY Chapter 6. Archaeological Implications of Paleoneurology Harry J. Jerison Chapter 7. Intellectual Surplusage: The Role of Bipedalism Sean C. Hogan and Gordon G. Gallup, Jr. Chapter 8. Before or After the Split? Hominoid Brain Structures and the Evolution of the Human Mind Katerina Semendeferi PART IV: INFORMATION PROCESSING IN HUMAN EVOLUTION Chapter 9. Multilevel Information Processing, Archaeology and Evolution Philip Chase Chapter 10. Behavioral Response to Variable Pleistocene Landscapes Richard Potts Chapter 11. The Fossil Evidence for the Evolution of Human Intelligence in Pleistocene Homo Anne Weaver, Trenton W. Holliday, Christopher B. Ruff and Erik Trinkaus PART V: A FINAL WORD: THE ORIGINS OF LANGUAGE Chapter 12. On the Neural Bases of Spoken Language Philip Lieberman Chapter 13. Discovering the Symbolic Potential of Communicative Signs-The Origins of Speaking a Language. William Noble and Iain Davidson

Reviews

.... a valuable collection of articles, especially for students and those new to the study of cognitive evolution. I found it both stimulating and enjoyable to read.' ' ... this is a volume with an impressive list of contributors most of whom provide succinct summaries of longer and more detailed studies they have previously published as books or as journal articles. It is useful to have these gathered together in a volume that integrates studies of the fossil and archaeological records very effectively.'--Steven Mithen Cambridge Archaeological Journal (01/01/0001)

.... a valuable collection of articles, especially for students and those new to the study of cognitive evolution. I found it both stimulating and enjoyable to read.' ' ... this is a volume with an impressive list of contributors most of whom provide succinct summaries of longer and more detailed studies they have previously published as books or as journal articles. It is useful to have these gathered together in a volume that integrates studies of the fossil and archaeological records very effectively.'--Steven Mithen Cambridge Archaeological Journal (12/01/2002)

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edited by April Nowell

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