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The Ape in the Tree: An Intellectual and Natural History of Proconsul
by Walker, Alan; Shipman, Pat | HC | VeryGood
US $12.50
Approximately£9.30
Condition:
“Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ”... Read moreAbout condition
Very Good
A book that has been read and does not look new, but is in excellent condition. No obvious damage to the book cover, with the dust jacket (if applicable) included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, no underlining or highlighting of text, and no writing in the margins. Some identifying marks on the inside cover, but this is minimal. Very little wear and tear. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.
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eBay item number:195441725366
Item specifics
- Condition
- Very Good
- Seller notes
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Weight
- 1 lbs
- Product Group
- Book
- IsTextBook
- Yes
- ISBN
- 0674016750
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Harvard University Press
ISBN-10
0674016750
ISBN-13
9780674016750
eBay Product ID (ePID)
43529640
Product Key Features
Book Title
Ape in the Tree : an Intellectual and Natural History of Proconsul
Number of Pages
312 Pages
Language
English
Topic
Africa / General, Life Sciences / Evolution, General, Paleontology
Publication Year
2005
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
Science, History
Format
Hardcover
Dimensions
Item Height
1 in
Item Weight
17.6 Oz
Item Length
8.2 in
Item Width
5.5 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Trade
LCCN
2004-057405
Reviews
Books about how science is done are usually interesting and The Ape in the Tree is no exception. Allan Walker and Pat Shipman successfully convey the fun of finding old bones without minimizing the hard work and tedium that so often characterize fieldwork., Walker's semi-popular account of this important fossil ape will be an accessible and entertaining read for the educated layman., The Ape in the Tree is a fine account of new ways to puzzle out the behaviors of fossilized animals from odd scraps of bones., Proconsul is the last common ancestor of humans and apes. Walker and Shipman, American husband-and-wife anthropologists, found 18-million-year-old Proconsul fossils in Africa and then set about to understand them. Their account is part adventure story, part cutting-edge science., Proconsul lays claim to being the best known ape in the fossil record and Alan Walker and Pat Shipman tell the story of this prized fossil superbly well. Wonderfully engaging and insightful, The Ape in the Tree is sure to become a classic in the literature on human origins., The Ape in the Tree , by Alan Walker and Pat Shipman, is an engaging chronicle that centers on the discovery and scientific interpretation of one of those early apes [of the Miocene epoch]... The Ape in the Tree combines adventure story with accounts of the painstaking work that underpins scientific progress. It tells of the associated history of scientific thoughts, of their development in the light of new evidence and of their subjection to preconceptions and personal ambition. Authenticity is guaranteed, as one of the authors, Walker, has been involved with the story of Proconsul for some 40 years. His anecdotes convey the excitement of digging up evidence of ancient life and the associated frustrations ('This is the list of break-downs on a brand-new machine, just for my memory when I talk to the manufacturers...'), unsettling moments ('When I looked at the belts closely, I realised they were leather strings from which dangled peculiar wrinkled objects: the testicles of the men they had killed. Their stares and their belts made us rather nervous.'), and occasionally dangers ('Get that plane up fast, Richard (Leakey)!')., The Ape in the Tree is an engaging exposition of how fossils are found, excavated, studied and evaluated. This memoir of great scholarship and high adventure, is a must read for anyone interested in the plight of the paleontologist., Named after a performing chimp at the Folies-Berg re in Paris, Proconsul is a common ancestor of apes and humans that lived in Africa between 21 million and 14 million years ago. In this memoir, paleontotogists Walker and Shipman splice stories of their adventures excavating the animal with an analysis of its biology--as revealed by current research and by Mary Leakey, who discovered the first Proconsul skull in Kenya in 1948., The Ape in the Tree, by Alan Walker and Pat Shipman, is an engaging chronicle that centers on the discovery and scientific interpretation of one of those early apes [of the Miocene epoch]...The Ape in the Tree combines adventure story with accounts of the painstaking work that underpins scientific progress. It tells of the associated history of scientific thoughts, of their development in the light of new evidence and of their subjection to preconceptions and personal ambition. Authenticity is guaranteed, as one of the authors, Walker, has been involved with the story of Proconsul for some 40 years. His anecdotes convey the excitement of digging up evidence of ancient life and the associated frustrations ('This is the list of break-downs on a brand-new machine, just for my memory when I talk to the manufacturers...'), unsettling moments ('When I looked at the belts closely, I realised they were leather strings from which dangled peculiar wrinkled objects: the testicles of the men they had killed. Their stares and their belts made us rather nervous.'), and occasionally dangers ('Get that plane up fast, Richard (Leakey)!')., Named after a performing chimp at the Folies-Bergère in Paris, Proconsul is a common ancestor of apes and humans that lived in Africa between 21 million and 14 million years ago. In this memoir, paleontotogists Walker and Shipman splice stories of their adventures excavating the animal with an analysis of its biology--as revealed by current research and by Mary Leakey, who discovered the first Proconsul skull in Kenya in 1948., The authors' enthusiasm for the topic is contagious, and their ability to transform often-dry paleontological analysis into a potential screenplay for CSI: Kenya is admirable.
TitleLeading
The
Dewey Edition
22
Dewey Decimal
569/.88
Table Of Content
Author's Note Prologue 1. Luck and Unluck 2. Love and the Tree 3. An Arm and a Leg 4. The Lost and the Found 5. Back to the Miocene 6. An Embarrassment of Riches 7. How Did It Move? 8. How Many Proconsuls? 9. How Many Apes? 10. Something to Chew On 11. More on Teeth 12. Listening to the Past Pronunciation of African Place Names Notes Index
Synopsis
This book offers a unique insider's perspective on the unfolding discovery of a crucial link in our evolution: Proconsul , a fossil ape named whimsically after a performing chimpanzee called Consul. The Ape in the Tree is written in the voice of Alan Walker, whose involvement with Proconsul began when his graduate supervisor analyzed the tree-climbing adaptations in the arm and hand of this extinct creature. Today, Proconsul is the best-known fossil ape in the world. The history of ideas is set against the vivid adventures of Walker's fossil-hunting expeditions in remote regions of Africa, where the team met with violent thunderstorms, dangerous wildlife, and people isolated from the Western world. Analysis of the thousands of new Proconsul specimens they recovered provides revealing glimpses of the life of this last common ancestor between apes and humans. The attributes of Proconsul have profound implications for the very definition of humanness. This book speaks not only of an ape in a tree but also of the ape in our tree., Detailing the unfolding discovery of a crucial link in our evolution, this book is written in the voice of Walker, whose involvement with Proconsul began when his graduate supervisor analyzed the tree-climbing adaptations in the arm and hand of this extinct creature. Today, Proconsul is the best-known fossil ape in the world.
LC Classification Number
QE882.P7W35 2005
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- v***v (2054)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseAlthough this book was not as described, with no picture of it in the listing, the seller communicated well and quickly gave me a full refund while letting me keep it. The minimal packaging left the book a bit vulnerable (typical for ThriftBooks), but it did arrive safely and timely. As usual, it’s hit or miss with this seller, but often times you can get great values, and their customer service is always very good. Many other sellers with millions of transactions don’t even communicate.
- a***r (375)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchasei am so happy to have every book of this series! the price of the book & the shipping is very reasonable! the book was as described & was in excellent condition! it was shipped quickly & arrived quickly! the books are always packaged carefully so they arrived undamaged! the communication from the sellers is always excellent--they go out of their way for excellent customer service! i have been a repeat customer from this seller & always will be! this seller is the best bookseller on ebay!