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The Origin of Our Species
Do all humans originate from Africa? How did we spread across the globe? Are we separate from Neanderthals, or do some of us actually have their genes? When did humans become 'modern' - are traits such as art, technology, language, ritual and belief unique to us? Has human evolution stopped, or are we still evolving?
Chris Stringer has been involved in much of the crucial research into the origins of humanity, and here he draws on a wealth of evidence - from fossils and archaeology to the mysteries of ancient DNA - to reveal the definitive story of where we came from, how we lived, how we got here and who we are.
Chris Stringer has been involved in much of the crucial research into the origins of humanity, and here he draws on a wealth of evidence - from fossils and archaeology to the mysteries of ancient DNA - to reveal the definitive story of where we came from, how we lived, how we got here and who we are.
333 pages, Paperback
Published June 30, 2011
31 people are currently reading
393 people want to read
About the author
Chris Stringer
20 books59 followersProfessor Christopher Brian Stringer, Fellow of the Royal Society currently works at the National History Museum, London, as research leader in human origins.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 31, 2018
My mind finds it so hard to deal with the colossal timescales involved in palaeontology – even more so in the case of books like this, where the story being pieced together on this Brobdingnagian canvas is so crucial and so awe-inspiring. You're considering vast, Cthulhu-like stretches of time in which human societies grew up, discovered modernity in the form of complex tools and ritualised behaviour, held out for a while against the environment, and then disappeared. One after another, flashes of human civilisation blinking in and out of existence in the archaeological record.
Seventy-two thousand years ago, at what's now Still Bay in South Africa, there was a human society that lasted for hundreds of centuries before vanishing; five millennia later, not far away at Howieson's Poort, a different and apparently unrelated civilisation thrived for a while before also being abruptly cut off. These people used compound tools and painted themselves with red ochre, buried their dead and wore jewelry made of tick shells; they must have had their own detailed rituals and legends and mythologies and social conventions that we can never now recover. In many cases they were succeeded by communities of much less advanced humans that did not understand their technology.
All of this is an excellent illustration of the crucial point that evolution is not teleology, that ‘progress’ is not necessarily selected for, and that civilisational modernity has come about through random fits and starts and not through some kind of natural incrementation. The fortuitous anomaly of the last two-to-three thousand years has made it hard to appreciate this basic fact, which often strikes you when reading history but which is even more forceful and awe-inspiring when it comes to prehistory and palaeontology.
Nowhere more so than in the case of ‘archaic humans’, i.e. other members of the Homo genus of which we are the last surviving species. Homo erectus, for instance, had already spread out from Africa to cover most of Europe and Asia, and it was once thought that erectus simply evolved into modern humans wherever it existed, so that different bands of humans suddenly popped into existence 100,000 years ago all around the Old World. This ‘multiregionalist’ hypothesis has now been largely replaced by a narrative whereby Homo sapiens evolved once, somewhere in eastern or southern Africa, and – after tens of thousands of years – finally expanded to colonise Eurasia and the rest of the world, in the process replacing whatever archaic hominins happened still to be in the area when they arrived.
In Europe, that meant Neanderthals. If you have any imagination at all, it's impossible not to feel a rush of excitement at the idea of early humans suddenly encountering groups of these manlike people – a bit like how Portuguese sailors must have felt when they found strange men living in the Americas, only much, much more so: instead of a separation time of 30,000 years or so, this was on the order of 140,000 years. Neanderthals died out pretty much as modern humans arrived in Europe, suggesting that neanderthalis was out-competed for resources or even perhaps the victim of inter-species violence. Then again – still thinking of the New World comparison – perhaps new diseases had something to do with it. (I wish more serious novelists would address themselves to this story. The only good example I know of is William Golding's The Inheritors.)
In any case, there was of course sex as well as violence involved. The idea that humans were boffing Neanderthals, at least occasionally, has been dramatically supported by genetic analysis: it transpires that if you're (genetically) European then around two percent of your DNA is inherited from them. Beyond Europe, it wasn't generally thought that there were any hominids left by the time that modern humans arrived – but this assumption has recently collapsed in a rather exciting way, thanks to new fossil discoveries as well as DNA studies. The most dramatic example is the so-called ‘hobbit’, Homo floresiensis, discovered on an Indonesian island, which seems to represent a descendant of Homo erectus that somehow survived on Flores until as recently as 12,000 years ago – in other words tens of millennia after modern humans were in the region. (Update – it's now established that floresiensis did not evolve from Homo erectus but in fact emerged much earlier – perhaps from Homo habilis some two million years ago.) Moreover, the latest genetic evidence suggests that humans interbred with non-sapiens species even before leaving Africa.
So the ‘Out of Africa’ narrative is complicated a bit by increasing evidence of hybridisation and other complexities. Chris Stringer has been a key player in all this since the 70s, and he tells the story well, though the wealth of material tempts him to drift away from the point on occasion. He brings in a lot of very interesting cultural discussions about religion, language and other kinds of behavioural modernity. The writing style is confident and jovial, like listening to a kindly schoolteacher – he even attempts a few jokes (typically signalled by some hearty exclamation marks), which don't usually come off but you appreciate the effort.
For me this book was the primer in recent developments that I've been looking for – even if the answer to a lot of basic questions is still a cautious ‘we're not yet sure’. Chris Stringer is too conscientious a scientist to gloss over this basic uncertainty, and if you're looking for black-and-white answers rather than the tangle of scientific exploration then this book may frustrate you. Otherwise it should prove a fascinating and mind-expanding read.
Seventy-two thousand years ago, at what's now Still Bay in South Africa, there was a human society that lasted for hundreds of centuries before vanishing; five millennia later, not far away at Howieson's Poort, a different and apparently unrelated civilisation thrived for a while before also being abruptly cut off. These people used compound tools and painted themselves with red ochre, buried their dead and wore jewelry made of tick shells; they must have had their own detailed rituals and legends and mythologies and social conventions that we can never now recover. In many cases they were succeeded by communities of much less advanced humans that did not understand their technology.
All of this is an excellent illustration of the crucial point that evolution is not teleology, that ‘progress’ is not necessarily selected for, and that civilisational modernity has come about through random fits and starts and not through some kind of natural incrementation. The fortuitous anomaly of the last two-to-three thousand years has made it hard to appreciate this basic fact, which often strikes you when reading history but which is even more forceful and awe-inspiring when it comes to prehistory and palaeontology.
Nowhere more so than in the case of ‘archaic humans’, i.e. other members of the Homo genus of which we are the last surviving species. Homo erectus, for instance, had already spread out from Africa to cover most of Europe and Asia, and it was once thought that erectus simply evolved into modern humans wherever it existed, so that different bands of humans suddenly popped into existence 100,000 years ago all around the Old World. This ‘multiregionalist’ hypothesis has now been largely replaced by a narrative whereby Homo sapiens evolved once, somewhere in eastern or southern Africa, and – after tens of thousands of years – finally expanded to colonise Eurasia and the rest of the world, in the process replacing whatever archaic hominins happened still to be in the area when they arrived.
In Europe, that meant Neanderthals. If you have any imagination at all, it's impossible not to feel a rush of excitement at the idea of early humans suddenly encountering groups of these manlike people – a bit like how Portuguese sailors must have felt when they found strange men living in the Americas, only much, much more so: instead of a separation time of 30,000 years or so, this was on the order of 140,000 years. Neanderthals died out pretty much as modern humans arrived in Europe, suggesting that neanderthalis was out-competed for resources or even perhaps the victim of inter-species violence. Then again – still thinking of the New World comparison – perhaps new diseases had something to do with it. (I wish more serious novelists would address themselves to this story. The only good example I know of is William Golding's The Inheritors.)
In any case, there was of course sex as well as violence involved. The idea that humans were boffing Neanderthals, at least occasionally, has been dramatically supported by genetic analysis: it transpires that if you're (genetically) European then around two percent of your DNA is inherited from them. Beyond Europe, it wasn't generally thought that there were any hominids left by the time that modern humans arrived – but this assumption has recently collapsed in a rather exciting way, thanks to new fossil discoveries as well as DNA studies. The most dramatic example is the so-called ‘hobbit’, Homo floresiensis, discovered on an Indonesian island, which seems to represent a descendant of Homo erectus that somehow survived on Flores until as recently as 12,000 years ago – in other words tens of millennia after modern humans were in the region. (Update – it's now established that floresiensis did not evolve from Homo erectus but in fact emerged much earlier – perhaps from Homo habilis some two million years ago.) Moreover, the latest genetic evidence suggests that humans interbred with non-sapiens species even before leaving Africa.
So the ‘Out of Africa’ narrative is complicated a bit by increasing evidence of hybridisation and other complexities. Chris Stringer has been a key player in all this since the 70s, and he tells the story well, though the wealth of material tempts him to drift away from the point on occasion. He brings in a lot of very interesting cultural discussions about religion, language and other kinds of behavioural modernity. The writing style is confident and jovial, like listening to a kindly schoolteacher – he even attempts a few jokes (typically signalled by some hearty exclamation marks), which don't usually come off but you appreciate the effort.
For me this book was the primer in recent developments that I've been looking for – even if the answer to a lot of basic questions is still a cautious ‘we're not yet sure’. Chris Stringer is too conscientious a scientist to gloss over this basic uncertainty, and if you're looking for black-and-white answers rather than the tangle of scientific exploration then this book may frustrate you. Otherwise it should prove a fascinating and mind-expanding read.
December 17, 2017
This was great. I liked the writing style and how detailed all the descriptions were from the methods used for dating fossils to what we can piece together from the remains of our ancient ancestors and other human relatives.
There were of-course things I knew or had read about before, but those served as good foundation so that not everything was disconnected.
Probably my favorite concepts I read about in this book were the cooperative eye hypothesis, which is fascinating, and Dunbar's number.
I feel like now I have a slightly better grasp of the timeline of human evolution.
There were of-course things I knew or had read about before, but those served as good foundation so that not everything was disconnected.
Probably my favorite concepts I read about in this book were the cooperative eye hypothesis, which is fascinating, and Dunbar's number.
I feel like now I have a slightly better grasp of the timeline of human evolution.
November 4, 2013
Chris Stringer, an expert in the field of more than 40 years, and currently attached to the British Natural History Museum guides the reader through the world of palaeoanthropology, and the changes and discoveries in this field over the past four decades. This book is well written, clear, and explains technical terms, so if you’re a newcomer to the subject this book is ideal, as it has been written to be easy and accessible for just such an audience. However, at the same time, it offers a pretty comprehensive discussion of the field and of the debates and exciting questions. Did humans really come out of Africa? To what extent did we interbreed with other human species? Were we as mentally proficient and inventive when we evolved as anatomically modern humans, or did our brain continue evolving and did we undergo a later revolution of thought, as some palaeoanthropologists argue? How is use of genetics changing our understanding of palaeoanthropology? Anything you ever wanted to ask about human evolution and stone age humans, it’s here. Of course, over time no doubt this book will itself become out of date, but I’m impressed with just how up to date it is, including discussions of the recently discovered Denisovans, Homo floresiensis, and the revelations in recent years that our species did indeed interbreed with both Neanderthals and Denisovans. I suppose my one criticism is that although I found the writing style easy and flowing, it was not deeply engrossing for me, and I would have enjoyed more photos to illustrate the points being made in the text.
8 out of 10
November 25, 2012
I bought Chris Stringer's book "The Origin of Our Species" (or "Lone Survivors: How We Came to be the Only Humans on Earth" as the US publisher has ridiciously retitled it) because, obviously, I wanted to brush up on my knowlegde of human evolution. I was looking for a definitive, chronological human history as scientists now understand it. Unfortunately "Origin of Our Species" was not that book.
In this book Stringer discusses how new dating techniques and our understanding of DNA and the human genome has revolutionized palaeontology and our understanding of human evolution. Unfortunately each new discovery raises more questions than it answers. Palaeontologists don't agree on a lot of things and Stringer touches upon some of the major debates being held by scientists at the moment.
How did early modern humans leave Africa and spread thoughout the globe? How did Neanderthals came to be extinct? Did Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal interbreed? How culturally advanced were early modern humans? How did early modern humans live together and did they consider Neanderthals to be friends, foe or prey?
The most frustrating aspect of this book is that author Chris Stringer can't satifactorily answer these questions, simply because these subjects are still hotly debated or there just isn't enough evidence to support one theory over the other. To his credit Stringer discusses many theories, even some he doesn't necessarily agree with in order to give the reader the complete picture.
"The Origin Of Our Species" works as an overview of the advances in palaeontology and the study of human evolution in the past 30 years. If you're looking for definitive answers however, you'll be disappointed.
In this book Stringer discusses how new dating techniques and our understanding of DNA and the human genome has revolutionized palaeontology and our understanding of human evolution. Unfortunately each new discovery raises more questions than it answers. Palaeontologists don't agree on a lot of things and Stringer touches upon some of the major debates being held by scientists at the moment.
How did early modern humans leave Africa and spread thoughout the globe? How did Neanderthals came to be extinct? Did Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal interbreed? How culturally advanced were early modern humans? How did early modern humans live together and did they consider Neanderthals to be friends, foe or prey?
The most frustrating aspect of this book is that author Chris Stringer can't satifactorily answer these questions, simply because these subjects are still hotly debated or there just isn't enough evidence to support one theory over the other. To his credit Stringer discusses many theories, even some he doesn't necessarily agree with in order to give the reader the complete picture.
"The Origin Of Our Species" works as an overview of the advances in palaeontology and the study of human evolution in the past 30 years. If you're looking for definitive answers however, you'll be disappointed.
February 28, 2022
Unintentionally, I read The Origin of Our Species shortly after reading Derek Bickerton's
Adam's Tongue
. Both books deal with the same issue from different perspectives; how did Homo Sap become Homo Sap. Both are entertaining and informative reads.
Stringer's The Origin of Our Species uses a much broader canvas to make his arguments and language plays a small part. He recognizes its importance in making us who we are and only as one of many elements that made us so.
This contrast made an interesting frisson between the two books; Stringer offers that language came from lots of things happening, Bickerton offers than lots of things happened because of language.
Makes one wonder what their discussions might have been like.
Stringer's The Origin of Our Species uses a much broader canvas to make his arguments and language plays a small part. He recognizes its importance in making us who we are and only as one of many elements that made us so.
This contrast made an interesting frisson between the two books; Stringer offers that language came from lots of things happening, Bickerton offers than lots of things happened because of language.
Makes one wonder what their discussions might have been like.
September 25, 2020
Upside is that you will almost certainly learn something new from the book, whether all the new technologies to date fossils or how different homo species varied from each other or how genetics is reshaping anthropology. Many interesting facts.
Downside is Stringer's writing style is quite dry and the book is not well structured, at times feeling like you are under the bombardment of his random thoughts and observations. Also there's no good balance between layman and technical bits, some go unnecessarily technical.
Downside is Stringer's writing style is quite dry and the book is not well structured, at times feeling like you are under the bombardment of his random thoughts and observations. Also there's no good balance between layman and technical bits, some go unnecessarily technical.
June 21, 2014
The author has somehow produced an almost indecently readable book from the interpretation of data emerging from many advanced dating techniques.In fact his writing is some of the best I've come across in popular science.He manages to circumvent in-depth technical explanations and keeps matters as simple as possible.
However the nature of the subject is such that in many areas no precise conclusions can be made,as certain finds cast doubt on previous theories and start to construct a picture of random mutations/evolutionary advances and hybridization,that flourished,died out and then re-emerged,frustrating any attempt at finding a pattern that would satisfy those in need of some form of clarity.
The genetic data,does produce more definite conclusions in regard of population sizes and migratory patterns and also evidence of the emergence of a 'modern' brain/mind about 50,000 years ago,possibly triggered by a bout of dopamine triggered ADHD. This seem to be more conclusive evidence and the area where more advances will be made.
On the whole then,a very entertaining book that sharpens the focus on pre-hisory and brings you up to date with the methodology being employed at present.
However the nature of the subject is such that in many areas no precise conclusions can be made,as certain finds cast doubt on previous theories and start to construct a picture of random mutations/evolutionary advances and hybridization,that flourished,died out and then re-emerged,frustrating any attempt at finding a pattern that would satisfy those in need of some form of clarity.
The genetic data,does produce more definite conclusions in regard of population sizes and migratory patterns and also evidence of the emergence of a 'modern' brain/mind about 50,000 years ago,possibly triggered by a bout of dopamine triggered ADHD. This seem to be more conclusive evidence and the area where more advances will be made.
On the whole then,a very entertaining book that sharpens the focus on pre-hisory and brings you up to date with the methodology being employed at present.
February 3, 2019
Written by one the foremost researchers in the field of trying to find out just when our species developed in and then left Africa explains just how damn complicated sifting the evidence is. Did bits of neanderthal DNA get into our genome and just why did they die out while we thrived. This also raises in me the vexed question of just which is my favourite Homo? Currently I like the cut of the jib of H. heidelbergensis with his massive brow ridges glowering over those empty eye sockets and whose skull sits in safe outside the author's office.
March 10, 2024
A must read for every adult and adolescent.
September 9, 2025
Don’t be fooled by the inconclusive first 90% of the book. Very interesting if you are into prehistory
March 21, 2024
Such a comprehensive guide on the origin on Homo sapiens. Stringer explains complex ideas about genetics and archaeology by breaking them down into sections that build on each other. It is also written from a humble enough perspective where he is able to admit his own mistakes in the field as well as how far our research into the past still has to come.
November 1, 2012
Fascinating and intensely gripping, this book explores human evolution from its very foundation.
This absolutely fascinating book had me glued to the page for hours, as the author draws on his wealth of extensive knowledge to tackle those big questions on the beginning of human life on earth. Questions that are explored include; do all humans originate from Africa? How did we spread across the globe, forming different countries with their own unique culture and language? Are we separate from Neanderthals or do some of us actually have their genes? Over the years humans have modernized with significant, great changes in art, technology, language, rituals and beliefs occurring that separate us further from are past ancestors as we evolve in an ever changing world that surrounds us. The question that now begins to form on are lips is whether evolution has actually stopped, because it is hard to see if we are continuing to evolve when the human species has physically stayed the same for such a long time now. Using all kinds of evidence from fossils and archaeology to Charles Darwin’s theories and the mysteries of ancient DNA, Chris Stringer reveals the definitive story of where we came from, how we lived, how we got here and who we are.
This book is truly original and unique as it professes a new way of defining us and our place within history, starting from the very beginning. This has to be one of the most illuminating, insightful and comprehensive books I have ever read on the subject of human evolution and one which is just such a remarkable and astonishing read, capturing your thoughts from the very first page right through to the end. The author is one of the most expert writers on this subject being a pioneer for history, who writes in such a way as to bring the subject to life in a way that is just spectacular and colorful. It combines both anecdotes and speculation with crisp, deeply research explanations of the latest science in the study of humans, thus one gets to see all angles and viewpoints on the subject and theories.
It is the simplicity of this book and also the in-depth analysis of man’s origins that make it such a masterpiece. Any medical terminology is always adequately explained thus enabling the reader to follow the arguments easily and the alternating perspectives. Not all of the pre-homo sapiens species are discussed as the author tries to focus more on Homo erectus, heidelbergiensis, neanderthalensis and ourselves. Complete with detailed illustrations and spreadsheets, Chris Stringer tries to bring to life our extremely detailed and astounding history that to this day is still debated over with many theories and contradictory theories still floating around. Pushing past all those differing and conflicting opinions (such as dismissing Stephen Oppenheimer’s out of Eden ideals), he focuses more on our development and evolution that follows its own narrow pre-arranged path. It explicates to the reader simply so as to understand the changes and adaptations we have had to undergo over the years and those extraordinary discoveries, in more recent times that are most relevant and useful to newcomers of the subject.
I highly recommend reading this book, which I give a 4 ½ star rating to.
This absolutely fascinating book had me glued to the page for hours, as the author draws on his wealth of extensive knowledge to tackle those big questions on the beginning of human life on earth. Questions that are explored include; do all humans originate from Africa? How did we spread across the globe, forming different countries with their own unique culture and language? Are we separate from Neanderthals or do some of us actually have their genes? Over the years humans have modernized with significant, great changes in art, technology, language, rituals and beliefs occurring that separate us further from are past ancestors as we evolve in an ever changing world that surrounds us. The question that now begins to form on are lips is whether evolution has actually stopped, because it is hard to see if we are continuing to evolve when the human species has physically stayed the same for such a long time now. Using all kinds of evidence from fossils and archaeology to Charles Darwin’s theories and the mysteries of ancient DNA, Chris Stringer reveals the definitive story of where we came from, how we lived, how we got here and who we are.
This book is truly original and unique as it professes a new way of defining us and our place within history, starting from the very beginning. This has to be one of the most illuminating, insightful and comprehensive books I have ever read on the subject of human evolution and one which is just such a remarkable and astonishing read, capturing your thoughts from the very first page right through to the end. The author is one of the most expert writers on this subject being a pioneer for history, who writes in such a way as to bring the subject to life in a way that is just spectacular and colorful. It combines both anecdotes and speculation with crisp, deeply research explanations of the latest science in the study of humans, thus one gets to see all angles and viewpoints on the subject and theories.
It is the simplicity of this book and also the in-depth analysis of man’s origins that make it such a masterpiece. Any medical terminology is always adequately explained thus enabling the reader to follow the arguments easily and the alternating perspectives. Not all of the pre-homo sapiens species are discussed as the author tries to focus more on Homo erectus, heidelbergiensis, neanderthalensis and ourselves. Complete with detailed illustrations and spreadsheets, Chris Stringer tries to bring to life our extremely detailed and astounding history that to this day is still debated over with many theories and contradictory theories still floating around. Pushing past all those differing and conflicting opinions (such as dismissing Stephen Oppenheimer’s out of Eden ideals), he focuses more on our development and evolution that follows its own narrow pre-arranged path. It explicates to the reader simply so as to understand the changes and adaptations we have had to undergo over the years and those extraordinary discoveries, in more recent times that are most relevant and useful to newcomers of the subject.
I highly recommend reading this book, which I give a 4 ½ star rating to.
May 1, 2019
Chris Stringer is well known as a senior scientist at the Natural History Museum, his area of expertise human evolution. 'The Origin Of Our Species' wittily riffs on Darwin’s classic work, providing an overview of the state of our knowledge about human evolution.
The book was published in 2011, and a few things have changed since then, mostly down to ancient DNA analysis. This however being a Chris Stringer book means it remains essential reading: wide-ranging, entertaining, packed with fact and theory. He is generous with the work of others, but not afraid to take on those, e.g. evangelists of the Multi-region Hypothesis, with whom he has struggled before. And as he points out, the Out Of Africa Theory which he helped develop is now widely supported and accepted.
The book covers palaeontology, the importance of scientific techniques, the limits of interpretation, then a brilliant few sections on deducing human behaviour and trying to determine how and when modern cognitive thinking developed.
Some reviewers have criticised this book for being too dry. I think that’s well off the mark. It’s not dry, it’s sophisticated, comprehensive and written from immense experience. A fascinating coda for instance explains how ideas that we’ve stopped evolving are nonsense.
Highly recommended.
The book was published in 2011, and a few things have changed since then, mostly down to ancient DNA analysis. This however being a Chris Stringer book means it remains essential reading: wide-ranging, entertaining, packed with fact and theory. He is generous with the work of others, but not afraid to take on those, e.g. evangelists of the Multi-region Hypothesis, with whom he has struggled before. And as he points out, the Out Of Africa Theory which he helped develop is now widely supported and accepted.
The book covers palaeontology, the importance of scientific techniques, the limits of interpretation, then a brilliant few sections on deducing human behaviour and trying to determine how and when modern cognitive thinking developed.
Some reviewers have criticised this book for being too dry. I think that’s well off the mark. It’s not dry, it’s sophisticated, comprehensive and written from immense experience. A fascinating coda for instance explains how ideas that we’ve stopped evolving are nonsense.
Highly recommended.
July 23, 2014
Low 4/high 3.
In contrast to Brian Fagan's Human Prehistory and the First Civilizations this is considerably more focused. It's also a more recent creation and, in the rapidly advancing field of human evolution and archaeology, this is critical.
My one big complaint about this is that it's not very well organized. Stringer seems unable to keep focused, instead he constantly make references to things he'll cover in other chapters. This is NOT an issue with the subject matter, as Jared Diamond avoided this problem handsomely in his excellent (but slightly dated now) The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution & Future of the Human Animal.
In general, the technical level is on the high side, so I wouldn't recommend this to someone just getting into the subject. But, if you have some familiarity with the field and can tolerate the poor organization, it's worth a read.
In contrast to Brian Fagan's Human Prehistory and the First Civilizations this is considerably more focused. It's also a more recent creation and, in the rapidly advancing field of human evolution and archaeology, this is critical.
My one big complaint about this is that it's not very well organized. Stringer seems unable to keep focused, instead he constantly make references to things he'll cover in other chapters. This is NOT an issue with the subject matter, as Jared Diamond avoided this problem handsomely in his excellent (but slightly dated now) The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution & Future of the Human Animal.
In general, the technical level is on the high side, so I wouldn't recommend this to someone just getting into the subject. But, if you have some familiarity with the field and can tolerate the poor organization, it's worth a read.
April 2, 2020
This is the second book of Chris Stringer that I have read, the first being African Exodus: The Rise of Modern Humanity. Chris has a great way of writing and is of course very knowledgeable having worked in the field for decades. He has a very easy going style and imparts his and the knowledge of the field extremely well. Like all science, books can become outdated very quickly as humanity makes leaps and bounds with the new technology and methods available. So it is in the field of anthropology but most of what is in The Origin of Our Species with perhaps some dates being updated is still absolutely relevant. Chris weaves a fascinating story about the history of the different homo species and therefore this book is a wonderful introduction to the subject from a master at the height of his game.
October 10, 2022
Chris Stringer competently weaves together different strands of evidence to create a compelling narrative of the evolution of our species, Homo sapiens. The book manages to tread a fine line between being accessible to a wider audience and being scientific and precise in its explanations, which is not an easy thing to do, especially when a scientific book attempts to convey very complex ideas and theories on a very specialised topic to a non-academic audience. That said, the book is not very daring in its interpretations. It's an attempt to convey current (at the time of writing) research, not to propose new ideas or attempt to put new focus on specific problems. As such, it's very much a book for a non-specialist audience. For a palaeoanthropologist such as myself, it's an engaging read, but it will not present you with any information you didn't already have.
August 1, 2013
This book actually contains several narratives (what it means to be human, which hominids preceded us and merged with homo sapiens, and a description of the scientific debates underpinning those stories), and some were more interesting to me than others. This had little to do with Stringer's writing, and more with my own interests. I think he did a marvelous job in merging all those narratives into one exciting story about our origins.
Its not exactly light reading, but I truly believe that dealing with a question such as what it means to be human should never be taken lightly.
In a few words I found it: extremely insightful, nuanced, honest, learned, witty, quite accessible, and in one word: awesome!
Its not exactly light reading, but I truly believe that dealing with a question such as what it means to be human should never be taken lightly.
In a few words I found it: extremely insightful, nuanced, honest, learned, witty, quite accessible, and in one word: awesome!
September 24, 2015
Great book that sets out an up to date look at the current theories surrounding humanity's origins, and the history of their development. I liked how much this book showed the profound abundance of questions that are still to be answered.
A little advice: in my opinion this book doesn't set the reader a very good timeline of events, in order to get one's bearings. So I recommend doing that on Wikipedia if you're an utter beginner.
I am very much a beginner in prehistory and palaeoanthropology, so this was tough enough for me. But despite that I got an awful lot from it; Stringer writes in a kindly and engaging manner. A very thought provoking read, and I can't help but think I shall return to this majestic field of enquiry.
A little advice: in my opinion this book doesn't set the reader a very good timeline of events, in order to get one's bearings. So I recommend doing that on Wikipedia if you're an utter beginner.
I am very much a beginner in prehistory and palaeoanthropology, so this was tough enough for me. But despite that I got an awful lot from it; Stringer writes in a kindly and engaging manner. A very thought provoking read, and I can't help but think I shall return to this majestic field of enquiry.
January 2, 2020
Fascinating subject, but poorly structured
A very interesting subject, but at times a rather tedious read. Chris Stringer is the world expert on this subject, so you can rely on the accuracy of the information presented here. I wasn't sure about the success of the book's structure as it seems to skip around a lot. The first chapter looks at the history of fossil and artefact discoveries, but this leads to these same specimens being looked at again repeatedly later in the book. There is no overall chart, diagram, table or graph that gives you the big picture in one place. The section on dating methods is tedious for the general reader, but not technical enough for a specialist, and so is either for the keen amateur, or written in the expectation that many readers would skip over it.
A very interesting subject, but at times a rather tedious read. Chris Stringer is the world expert on this subject, so you can rely on the accuracy of the information presented here. I wasn't sure about the success of the book's structure as it seems to skip around a lot. The first chapter looks at the history of fossil and artefact discoveries, but this leads to these same specimens being looked at again repeatedly later in the book. There is no overall chart, diagram, table or graph that gives you the big picture in one place. The section on dating methods is tedious for the general reader, but not technical enough for a specialist, and so is either for the keen amateur, or written in the expectation that many readers would skip over it.
May 19, 2012
Very good popular science book about recent human origins in Africa and our dispersal throughout the world. Contains a fairly unbiased discussion (given the author is a proponent of the out of Africa model) of all theories regarding the origins of H. sapiens. Particularly interesting if you are interested in the most recent developments in aDNA and genetics in general.
July 8, 2013
A great book on the origin of our speciesy. It really changes your perspective on early humans. Sometimes the text is a bit hard to follow and you definitely need some previous knowledge on human evolution or you'll get lost.
A good book for those who are already a bit interested in the subject, if you're not I suggest you do some research before reading.
A good book for those who are already a bit interested in the subject, if you're not I suggest you do some research before reading.
May 30, 2016
Great, I feel more up-tot-date now (as it was written in 2012 and is of course already overtaken again, but still ... ), very interesting read, written in a rather casual ( a bit too casual in my opinion) way ... I suppose written in a conversational style as not to frighten the non-scientific but interested reader.
April 24, 2016
Takes group selection too seriously, and the book failed the end with the kind of panache that I have come to expect from reading Richard Dawkins' books on similar topics, but it contained many ideas and allot of information I had not read elsewhere and is by no means a terrible book.
April 9, 2015
The content matter is very dense and it feels more like a textbook.
However, Chris stringer succeeds in bringing forth all the views about the origin of our species. No better book to comprehend our origins, if you can be a little patient.
However, Chris stringer succeeds in bringing forth all the views about the origin of our species. No better book to comprehend our origins, if you can be a little patient.
August 14, 2017
As a reader with no background in genetics and palaeoanthropology I found this a hard read. However it was astonishingly interesting and many subjects stroked with my personal background as a cultural and theological anthropologist.
August 10, 2020
Normally I don't like to leave books halfway and I am fine with scientific books, but I found this book way too technical. Although the content is good, it gets lost into details too much for my taste. Maybe I should give it a second chance?
December 17, 2020
This was an interesting account of the various discoveries of fossils of early humans. It details the debate about the origins and spread of the various homo species. Some of this may be a little out of date, but it is still worthwhile.
August 7, 2011
Very interesting, but a bit too dry for a great science topic.
January 15, 2012
Very up to date account of human evolution, well written and in depth.
May 9, 2013
very well written and informative off you are only a little interested in how we evolved this odd one of the books to read
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