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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Human biology & related topics > General
This book addresses central questions in the evolution of language: where it came from; how and why it evolved; how it came to be culturally transmitted; and how languages diversified. It does so from the perspective of the latest work in linguistics, neuroscience, psychology, and computer science, and deploys the latest methods and theories to probe into the origins and subsequent development of the only species that has languages.
Many complex traits define the human condition, including encephalization and bipedalism. The specific molecular signals and cellular processes producing these traits are the result of dramatic evolutionary change. At the same time, conservation of many of these developmental programs underlie both structure and function. Novel methodologies and techniques allow analysis of the collective behavior of cells, cell shapes, tissues, and organs. This volume demonstrates the essential role of cellular mechanisms in the evolutionary increase in the size and complexity of the primate brain. In addition, and concordant with encephalization, this book documents changes in the muscles and bones associated with the appearance of bipedalism. Genetic changes are the basis of these evolutionary changes, but transformation of genetic information into phenotypic outcomes occurs at the level of the cell, and this is the focus of the book. The goal is to encourage others to adopt evolutionary cell biology as a novel and necessary approach to the genotype-phenotype map of the diversification of primates, human variation, and human evolution. The contributors to this book utilize advances in genetic analysis, visualization of cells and tissues, and the merging of evolutionary developmental biology with evolutionary cell biology to address questions central to understanding the human and primate evolution. Key Features Explores mechanisms underlying trait distribution, dispersal, variation, and evolution through the direct testing of hypotheses especially with respect to patterns of encephalization, certain sensory modalities, and growth and life history specializations. Documents the advantages for anthropologists to work at the level of cells focusing on how genes provide instructions for cells to make structure and how environmental influences affect the behavior of cells. Illustrates the role cell biology plays with respect to encephalization, neocortical expansion, variation in facial morphology, locomotion, and dexterity. Describes novel methodologies and techniques allowing analysis of how the collective behavior of cells shapes tissues and organs. Related Titles Ripamonti, U., ed. Induction of Bone Formation in Primates: The Transforming Growth Factor-beta 3 (ISBN 978-0-3673-7740-3). Gordon, M. S., et al., eds. Animal Locomotion: Physical Principles and Adaptations (ISBN 978-0-3676-5795-6) Bianchi, L. Developmental Neurobiology (ISBN 978-0-8153-4482-7)
Many complex traits define the primate condition, including behaviors as fundamental as locomotion and traits as scrutinized as the dentition, and their study reveals dramatic evolutionary change across the primates. Genetic modifications are at the basis of these changes, but transformation of genetic information into phenotypes occurs at the level of the cell, which is the focus of this book. Contributors summarize novel methodologies to analyze the collective behavior of cells in forming tissues and organs influencing physiological functions and anatomical features that enable behaviors. Our goal is to review current knowledge and encourage others to adopt evolutionary cell biology to aid in deciphering the genotype-phenotype map that underlies the diversification of primates, human variation, and human evolution. The contributors to this book utilize advances in genetic analysis and visualization of cells and tissues and merge evolutionary developmental biology with evolutionary cell biology to address questions central to understanding human and primate evolution. Key Features Explores mechanisms underlying trait development, distribution, variation, and evolution, especially with respect to pigmentation, dental formulae, the skeleton, energetics, and temperature-related morphological variation Documents the advantages for anthropologists to work at the level of cells, focusing on how genes provide instructions for cells to make structure and how environment affects the behavior of cells Illustrates the role cell biology plays in pelage growth and pigmentation, facial morphology, melanin production in pigmentation, dental development and tooth loss, and energy expenditure Describes novel methodologies and techniques to analyze environment- and temperature-related influences on phenotypes Demonstrates how significant changes in life history occur at the level of the cell Related Titles Bianchi, L. Developmental Neurobiology (ISBN 978-0-8153-4482-7) King, G. R. Primate Behavior and Human Origins (ISBN 978-1-138-85317-1) Rhys Evans, P. H. The Waterside Ape: An Alternate Account of Human Evolution (ISBN 978-0-367-14548-4)
It is widely recognized that men and women in societies all over the world have very different experiences of sickness and health. This collection brings together biological and social anthropologists whose work illustrates how these subdisciplines have approached the task of explaining such differences. It demonstrates that an understanding of science and culture, using the notions of biological "sex" and socio-culturally constructed "gender" are both essential for furthering analyses of men's and women's, boys' and girls' experiences of health and disease. It addresses the important topics of gender differences in parental care, cardiovascular disease, reproductive health, and psychological illness, and looks at how the medicalization of women and their relative absence from models of population health might affect their experiences of preventative health measures. This book will be particularly useful for students in human sciences or anthropology courses, or anyone wishing to gain an interdisciplinary perspective on the subject.
This book focuses on established cardiovascular principles and highlights some of the progress achieved by recent research in the cardiovascular field. The authors report the basic concepts related to the functioning of the cardiovascular system necessary for medical students to understand. To foster learning, in each chapter the fundamental points are highlighted in italics and/or bold. In addition, we have added boxes that contain some more detailed information about physiological mechanisms or clinical aspects are analyzed and described in greater detail. The book describes the structure and function of the heart and vascular system for the reader to understand how the cardiovascular system responds in both health and disease. The book conveys a unified vision of the function of the heart and the vascular system, explaining the complexity of the system that goes far beyond the integrated connection between preload, afterload and cardiac contractility. The endothelium covers the internal part of the whole cardiovascular system; therefore, endothelial physiology is treated in several chapters. Given the importance of coronary circulation in cardiac pathophysiology, this special circulation is described in detail and enriched with the most up-to-date information. Several paragraphs and boxes on clinical implications are dedicated to the principles of electrophysiology and the electrocardiogram. A space is also dedicated to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury and cardioprotective procedures. The book is written in a linear and simple language without compromising the scientific rigor of the various topics covered.
Providing a broad overview of basic and clinical aspects of alpha 1-antitrypsin (a 1AT) deficiency, this up-to-date reference discusses the complex pathobiological processes underlying the pathogenesis of a1AT deficiency, describes the a1AT gene and its promoter, and details specific therapies to prevent the major clinical manifestations of the disorder.
Human evolution explains how we have found ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Issues of modern living; depression, obesity, and environmental destruction, can be understood in relation to our evolutionary past. This book shows how an awareness of this past and its relation to the present can help limit their impact on the future.
Human settlement of the western fringes of the Pacific began at least 40,000 years ago. Long, hazardous sea voyages were the only way of reaching the tiny islands scattered through this vast expanse of ocean. Food and shelter were hard to come by, even on land. This book, first published in 1996, documents how these settlers adapted culturally and biologically to the distinctive Pacific environment, and how they evolved into the large-bodied, muscular people seen today in New Zealand, Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. Philip Houghton considers studies of DNA, patterns of health and disease, and computer simulations of human survival at sea based on the likely routes through the Pacific. People of the Great Ocean is a unique work based on extensive research and careful analysis. Philip Houghton's text presents detailed technical information, but remains highly readable and persuasive.
Originally published in 1933 Functional Affinities of Man, Monkeys and Apes gives a taxonomic and phylogenetic survey and the findings of diverse experimental investigations of lemurs, monkeys, and apes. The book discusses the inter-relationships of different Primates and emphasizes seldom-used approaches to the question of primate phylogeny. The book attempts to show how little they have been systematically tried, and argues for a regard to the proper place of functional investigations in the study of the classification and evolution of Primates. This book will be of interest to anthropologists, scientists and historians alike.
Originally published in 1928, Studies in Hereditary Ability studies the genealogy of great families of Britain and America and examines how their ancestors influenced their genetics and who they subsequently ended up becoming. The book examines the descent of ability through both maternal and paternal lines, and seeks to argue that from both sides, there stems an equal chance of inheritance. At the time of publication maternal genealogy was relatively unexplored and the book examines the influence of the maternal line on hereditary genetics, as well as the early influence of the mother on a child's environment. The book also examines the links between leadership and intelligence, and maps the genealogy of writers, scientists and artists, and proposes that these notable figures were more likely to have had notable relatives. Although very much of its time, the book will provide a unique and interesting read for social historians, anthropologists and genealogists alike.
The biology of people in the past is a rapidly expanding field of historical study. Our capacity to understand the biology of historical populations is experiencing remarkable developments on both theoretical and analytical fronts. Human Biology and History weaves together the fields of biology, archaeology, and anthropology in an exchange of methods and theoretical perspectives that exemplify the interaction between human biology and history. The book presents methods developed for the analysis of biological material that can be applied to historical specimens to reveal the lifestyles and environments of individuals who lived thousands of years ago. Historical data sources are used to reveal the biology and population structure of past civilizations, while biological methods are used to interpret historical patterns and processes. This multi-disciplinary volume presents a unique interlacing of human biology and history to illustrate how individuals and societies have evolved over time. It is an insightful reference for human biologists, historians, and students interested in the intriguing connections that can be made when scientific techniques are applied within a historical context.
This first volume in a projected series contains the proceedings of the first of the Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine under the sponsorship of the Keio University Medical Science Fund. As stated in the address by the President of Keio University at the opening of the 1996 symposium, the fund of Dr. Mitsunada Sakaguchi. The Keio was established by the generous donation University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine constitute one of the core activities of the fund. The objective is to contribute to the international community by developing human resources, promoting scientific knowledge, and encouraging mutual exchange. Every year, the Executive Committee of the Interna tional Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine selects the most interesting topics for the symposium from applications received in response to a call for papers to the Keio medical community. The publication of these proceedings is intended to publicize and distribute information arising from the lively discussions of the most exciting and current issues during the symposium. Weare grateful to Dr. Mitsunada Sakaguchi, who made the symposium possible, the members of the program committee, and the office staff whose support guaran teed the success of the symposium. Finally, we thank Springer-Verlag, Tokyo, for their assistance in publishing this work. Akimichi Kaneko, M. D. , Ph. D.
Clear, engaging, and visually compelling, Starr and McMillan's HUMAN BIOLOGY teaches you the core concepts of human biology and prepares you to make well-informed decisions in your life. Each chapter opens with an application that highlights the relevance of biology and motivates the study of the topic. You then learn basic concepts which help you think critically about these issues. Useful learning aids, such as section-ending "Take-Home Messages" and a running glossary help you understand key concepts. At the end of the chapter, "Your Future" and "Explore on Your Own" sections demonstrate the impact and personal relevance of the content on your life. Available with InfoTrac (R) Student Collections http://gocengage.com/infotrac.
Working capacity is the physiological key to understanding man's ability, in technically less advanced communities, to exploit his environment, and hence to understanding his role in the ecological balance. In this volume the present state of knowledge of working capacity in tropical populations is reviewed in a series of illustrative papers. Topics cover the measurement of working capacity in populations: the functional consequences of malnutrition; growth, size and muscular efficiency; ethnic differences in working capacity; energy; expenditure and endemic disease; and energy flow in tropical ecosystems. These papers and their ensuing discussions lead to a series of recommendations on studies to be incorporated in the Decade of the Tropics research programme of the International Union of Biological Sciences.
Why do people's financial and economic preferences vary so widely? 'Nurture' variables such as socioeconomic factors partially explain these differences, but scientists have been discovering that 'nature' also plays an important role. This is the first book to bring together these scientific insights for a holistic view of the role of human biology in financial decision-making. Geneticists are now examining which genetic markers are associated with financial and economic preferences. Neuroscientists are now determining where in the brain financial decisions are made and how that varies between people. Endocrinologists relate the level of different hormones circulating in the body to financial risk-taking. Researchers are exploring how physiology and environmental conditions influence investment decisions, and how three types of cognitive ability play essential roles in investment success. This exciting and relevant work being done in these academic silos has generally not been transmitted among the scientific areas, or to industry. For the first time, this book integrates all these areas, explaining the myriad ways in which a person's biology influences their investing decisions. Financial analysts, advisors, market participants, and upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students of behavioral finance, behavioral economics, and investing will find this book invaluable, enabling a deeper understanding of investors' decision-making processes. To further ensure this new material is accessible to students, PowerPoint slides are available online for instructors' use.
Hylobatids (gibbons and siamangs) are the smallest of the apes distinguished by their coordinated duets, territorial songs, arm-swinging locomotion, and small family group sizes. Although they are the most speciose of the apes boasting twenty species living in eleven countries, ninety-five percent are critically endangered or endangered according to the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species. Despite this, gibbons are often referred to as being 'forgotten' in the shadow of their great ape cousins because comparably they receive less research, funding and conservation attention. This is only the third book since the 1980s devoted to gibbons, and presents cutting-edge research covering a wide variety of topics including hylobatid ecology, conservation, phylogenetics and taxonomy. Written by gibbon researchers and practitioners from across the world, the book discusses conservation challenges in the Anthropocene and presents practice-based approaches and strategies to save these singing, swinging apes from extinction.
This book provides a concise synthesis of how toxic chemical pollutants affect physiological processes in teleost fish. This Second Edition of the well-received Water Pollution and Fish Physiology has been completely updated, and chapters have been added on immunology and acid toxicity. The emphasis, as in the first edition, is on understanding mechanisms of sublethal effects on fish and their responses to these environmental stressors. The first chapter covers the basic principles involved in understanding how fish respond, in general, to environmental alterations. Each subsequent chapter is devoted to a particular organ system or physiological function and begins with a short overview of normal physiology of that system/function. This is followed by a review of how various toxic chemicals may alter normal conditions in fish. Chapters covering environmental hypoxia, behavior, cellular enzymes, and acid toxicity are also included. The book closes with a discussion on the practical application of physiological and biochemical measurements of fish in water pollution control in research and regulatory settings.
This book focuses on human anatomy and medicine and specifically on both muscular and skeletal birth defects in humans with trisomy. Moreover, this book also deals with Down syndrome, which is one of the most studied human syndromes and, due to its high incidence and the fact that individuals with this syndrome often live until adulthood, is of special interest to the scientific and medical community. This new line of inquiry is addressed to a wide audience, including medical researchers, physicians, surgeons, medical and dental students, pathologists, and pediatricians, among others, while also being of interest to developmental and evolutionary biologists, anatomists, functional morphologists, and zoologists.
Alcohol use has a long and ubiquitous history. The prevailing tendency to view alcohol merely as a 'social problem' or the popular notion that alcohol only serves to provide us with a 'hedonic' high, masks its importance in the social fabric of many human societies both past and present. To understand alcohol use, as a complex social practice that has been exploited by humans for thousands of years, requires cross-disciplinary insight from social/cultural anthropologists, archaeologists, historians, psychologists, primatologists, and biologists. This multi-disciplinary volume examines the broad use of alcohol in the human lineage and its wider relationship to social contexts such as feasting, sacred rituals, and social bonding. Alcohol abuse is a small part of a much more complex and social pattern of widespread alcohol use by humans. This alone should prompt us to explore the evolutionary origins of this ancient practice and the socially functional reasons for its continued popularity. The objectives of this volume are: (1) to understand how and why nonhuman primates and other animals use alcohol in the wild, and its relevance to understanding the social consumption of alcohol in humans; (2) to understand the social function of alcohol in human prehistory; (3) to understand the sociocultural significance of alcohol across human societies; and (4) to explore the social functions of alcohol consumption in contemporary society. 'Alcohol in Humans' will be fascinating reading for those in the fields of biology, psychology, anthropology, archaeology, as well as those with a broader interest in addiction.
The Growth of Humanity Barry Bogin The growth of human populations and human physical growth are intimately related, and their combined study links several fields including anthropology, demography, economics, and history. The Growth of Humanity provides an introduction to key concepts, methods of research, and essential discoveries in the fields of human demography and human growth and development, particularly in relation to disease, nutrition, and aging. This book explains the evolution and significance of human life history, especially human childhood and adolescence, and shows how new stages of human development lead inextricably to the growth of the entire human population. Providing a comprehensive and exciting biocultural perspective into the uses of demography in the real world, this first volume in the new Wiley series, Foundations of Human Biology, explains how and why the way people grow leads to greater human reproductive success than that of any other mammal. Written in an appealing, accessible style, The Growth of Humanity reviews such topics as:
Volume 1 of the series "Fundamentals of Medical Cell Biology" is
devoted to evolutionary biology. This is presented in two parts: in
the first, the structure and dynamics of RNA, DNA, and protein are
dealt with. The second part is concerned with the origins and
cellular basis of life.
This book discusses the European Union's approach to governance reform in its development assistance relationships with various groups of developing countries. A group of expert authors outline the general features of the position on governance taken by the EU, which is currently the major multilateral donor of development assistance, and discuss the implementation of EU policies in a set of cases: the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), Southeastern Europe, Central Asia, the Euro-Mediterranean, Latin America and fragile states. The contributions to the book argue that the EU's position on governance reform, particularly since the adoption of the European Consensus on Development in 2005, has had distinctly neoliberal overtones. The EU's governance-related strategies have been instrumental to deepening market-based reform in aid-receiving countries. Policies on state-building adopted by the EU reflect mainly the interests of and ideas embraced by the EU and its member states. To an important extent, the rhetoric accompanying EU policies does not match with the political and social dynamics inherent in governance structures on the ground in many of its aid-recipient partner countries. This book was published as a special issue of Third World Quarterly.
Originally published in 1928, Studies in Hereditary Ability studies the genealogy of great families of Britain and America and examines how their ancestors influenced their genetics and who they subsequently ended up becoming. The book examines the descent of ability through both maternal and paternal lines, and seeks to argue that from both sides, there stems an equal chance of inheritance. At the time of publication maternal genealogy was relatively unexplored and the book examines the influence of the maternal line on hereditary genetics, as well as the early influence of the mother on a child's environment. The book also examines the links between leadership and intelligence, and maps the genealogy of writers, scientists and artists, and proposes that these notable figures were more likely to have had notable relatives. Although very much of its time, the book will provide a unique and interesting read for social historians, anthropologists and genealogists alike. |
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