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The Real Planet of the Apes: A New Story of Human Origins
The astonishing new story of human origins
Was Darwin wrong when he traced our origins to Africa? The Real Planet of the Apes makes the explosive claim that it was in Europe, not Africa, where apes evolved the most important hallmarks of our human lineage―such as dexterous hands and larger brains. In this compelling and accessible book, David Begun, one of the world's leading paleoanthropologists, transports readers to an epoch in the remote past when the Earth was home to many migratory populations of ape species.
Drawing on the latest astonishing discoveries in the fossil record as well as his own experiences conducting field expeditions across Europe and Asia, Begun provides a sweeping evolutionary history of great apes and humans. He tells the story of how one of the earliest members of our evolutionary group―a new kind of primate called Proconsul ―evolved from lemur-like monkeys in the primeval forests of Africa. Begun vividly describes how, over the next 10 million years, these hominoids expanded into Europe and Asia and evolved climbing and hanging adaptations, longer maturation times, and larger brains, setting the stage for the emergence of humans. As the climate deteriorated in Europe around 10 million years ago, these apes either died out or migrated south, reinvading the African continent and giving rise to the lineages of the gorilla, chimpanzee, and, ultimately, the human.
Presenting startling new insights about our fossil ape ancestors, The Real Planet of the Apes is a book that fundamentally alters our understanding of human origins.
Was Darwin wrong when he traced our origins to Africa? The Real Planet of the Apes makes the explosive claim that it was in Europe, not Africa, where apes evolved the most important hallmarks of our human lineage―such as dexterous hands and larger brains. In this compelling and accessible book, David Begun, one of the world's leading paleoanthropologists, transports readers to an epoch in the remote past when the Earth was home to many migratory populations of ape species.
Drawing on the latest astonishing discoveries in the fossil record as well as his own experiences conducting field expeditions across Europe and Asia, Begun provides a sweeping evolutionary history of great apes and humans. He tells the story of how one of the earliest members of our evolutionary group―a new kind of primate called Proconsul ―evolved from lemur-like monkeys in the primeval forests of Africa. Begun vividly describes how, over the next 10 million years, these hominoids expanded into Europe and Asia and evolved climbing and hanging adaptations, longer maturation times, and larger brains, setting the stage for the emergence of humans. As the climate deteriorated in Europe around 10 million years ago, these apes either died out or migrated south, reinvading the African continent and giving rise to the lineages of the gorilla, chimpanzee, and, ultimately, the human.
Presenting startling new insights about our fossil ape ancestors, The Real Planet of the Apes is a book that fundamentally alters our understanding of human origins.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published October 27, 2015
16 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 25, 2016
I love the title of this volume, a text on paleoanthropology referencing the pop culture series, Planet of the Apes. Rather than looking forward to an apocalyptic future, Begun looks backward into the Miocene, when monkeys & apes were numerous and widespread.
Judging from several of his comments, he & I were undergrads at approximately the same time. I remember the state of fossil study from a couple of introductory anthropology courses that I took back in the early 80s and I’m somewhat jealous of his ability to continue on in this field. It was fascinating to study and I’m glad to get caught up on some of the more recent research.
I’m glad to see that more attention is being paid to fossils that are not thought to be in the direct line to humans, as well as the acknowledgement that there is a complicated path to human-ness that may be less direct than we could wish for. Just because species of apes are few in number today, we can’t assume that they have always been sparse.
Also interesting is the number of fossils being discovered in Europe and the Near East. It wouldn’t have occurred to me to be looking for apes in France, Spain, or Italy, and yet there they are! Begun introduces an interesting theory that some of the evolution towards humanity may have taken place in European environments and then been reintroduced to the African continent. Climate changes may indeed have moved populations back and forth between the two continents, making a more complicated evolutionary picture than we are used to.
It will be most interesting to see how future fossil discoveries fit into the jigsaw of human evolution.
Judging from several of his comments, he & I were undergrads at approximately the same time. I remember the state of fossil study from a couple of introductory anthropology courses that I took back in the early 80s and I’m somewhat jealous of his ability to continue on in this field. It was fascinating to study and I’m glad to get caught up on some of the more recent research.
I’m glad to see that more attention is being paid to fossils that are not thought to be in the direct line to humans, as well as the acknowledgement that there is a complicated path to human-ness that may be less direct than we could wish for. Just because species of apes are few in number today, we can’t assume that they have always been sparse.
Also interesting is the number of fossils being discovered in Europe and the Near East. It wouldn’t have occurred to me to be looking for apes in France, Spain, or Italy, and yet there they are! Begun introduces an interesting theory that some of the evolution towards humanity may have taken place in European environments and then been reintroduced to the African continent. Climate changes may indeed have moved populations back and forth between the two continents, making a more complicated evolutionary picture than we are used to.
It will be most interesting to see how future fossil discoveries fit into the jigsaw of human evolution.
January 5, 2016
This reads like a grand adventure. Its a great introduction to the big picture of ape evolution between 18 and 6 million years ago, when there were so many more species of apes. It made me sad that we now live in a world of so few species.
February 25, 2016
This book has a great title that is not only a play on a well known piece of pop-culture, but cleverly defines the point of this book- using fossil evidence to trace how and why apes (including ourselves) evolved to be the way they are. The title compares the small number of extant great apes with the abundance of apes found in the Miocene- a time of 'the real planet of the apes'. There are plenty of great books on the popular subject of palaeoanthropology, usually with a focus on human evolution from the time of the human-chimpanzee last common ancestor (probably around 5-7 million years ago). But this book shines a light on ape evolution and the variety of morphology found in the many now-extinct species that lived on this planet during the Miocene.
You need to have a basic comprehension of anatomy to understand a lot of the concepts in this book, which makes it a little advanced for the average reader but a gem of a book for students of evolutionary anatomy. Begun uses a 'chatty' style of narration, often used in popular science books, which provides backgrounds on ape fossils and morphological comparisons in a way that is less dry than an average anatomy lecture. I was particularly impressed with the clear introduction to the often confusing taxonomy of the primate order, with excellent diagrams which explain hard-to-grasp concepts such as the differences between hominoids, hominids and hominins and stem vs. crown groups.
The section on extinct pongines was particularly enjoyable as it includes the bizarre genus Gigantopithecus, which from teeth and mandibles alone has been modeled as being the size of a polar bear! The main hypothesis of the book is that there is a European origin for African apes (though these animals themselves derived from Africa). This hypothesis and its detractors are well explained and the author admits it may well be nullified with the discovery of African ape fossils dating between 12.5 and 9 million years ago. Whilst Africa remains the birthplace of humankind, the evolution of apes involves a complicated story that traces a wide range of climatic and environmental changes across the globe. There will always be an understandable bias towards learning about our direct origins, but the development of apes and their distinct traits in comparison to monkeys is equally as interesting. The book ends on the poignant note of how scarce our great ape family now is in comparison to the wonderful variety of species that lived during the Miocene and how sad is will be if the potential extinctions of orangutans, gorillas and chimpanzees make us the last of the great apes.
You need to have a basic comprehension of anatomy to understand a lot of the concepts in this book, which makes it a little advanced for the average reader but a gem of a book for students of evolutionary anatomy. Begun uses a 'chatty' style of narration, often used in popular science books, which provides backgrounds on ape fossils and morphological comparisons in a way that is less dry than an average anatomy lecture. I was particularly impressed with the clear introduction to the often confusing taxonomy of the primate order, with excellent diagrams which explain hard-to-grasp concepts such as the differences between hominoids, hominids and hominins and stem vs. crown groups.
The section on extinct pongines was particularly enjoyable as it includes the bizarre genus Gigantopithecus, which from teeth and mandibles alone has been modeled as being the size of a polar bear! The main hypothesis of the book is that there is a European origin for African apes (though these animals themselves derived from Africa). This hypothesis and its detractors are well explained and the author admits it may well be nullified with the discovery of African ape fossils dating between 12.5 and 9 million years ago. Whilst Africa remains the birthplace of humankind, the evolution of apes involves a complicated story that traces a wide range of climatic and environmental changes across the globe. There will always be an understandable bias towards learning about our direct origins, but the development of apes and their distinct traits in comparison to monkeys is equally as interesting. The book ends on the poignant note of how scarce our great ape family now is in comparison to the wonderful variety of species that lived during the Miocene and how sad is will be if the potential extinctions of orangutans, gorillas and chimpanzees make us the last of the great apes.
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March 2, 2019A reader like me, entirely lacking in any ability to evaluate the author's main, radical hypothesis, might still enjoy the rich descriptions of paleontological landscapes and chronologically arranged story of the evolution and migration of the variety of hominins or great ape ancestors. To be honest however there is so much anatomical detail inscribed here that the reader might like this better if this is not his first exposure to the terminology of paleoanthropology.. the author dazzles with his brilliance and his dry humor in equal measure, also he recreates his dig experiences and his meetings with venerable vertebrate paleontologists, all of whom are somehow for him the 'Greatest', somehow that's the only type he ever meets
March 5, 2020
I ultimately disagree with most of the conclusions by Dr. Begun, but he walks us through all the evidence in a wonderful and easy to understand fashion. Thus, I learned more with this book than with most paleoanth books written according to the consensus. There are many personal stories - truly, gems - about the serendipitous process of discovery in the field or working in museums and meeting there your heroes randomly, that you cannot find anywhere else.
This work is definitely a must-read for paleoprimatologists or explorers of the Miocene.
This work is definitely a must-read for paleoprimatologists or explorers of the Miocene.
July 26, 2025
The Real Planet of the Apes
Very detailed book that has good information on biology and human evolution with evidence pointing at bone structure and teeth maturity. The book discussed at length of the history of categorizing a fossils and how to place the human genius amongst the timeline. I wouldn’t say the book had an overall goal or theory other than simply presenting the facts.
Humans are believed to have branched off from an ape ancestor in the past. We believe in Africa since African chimps are our closest cousins. This book lightly offers that there is some evidence to support EuroAsia.
This book theorizes that a global climate change may have been behind our evolution to begin with but does not dismiss the others surrounding food habits, habitat change, and more.
The theory about Africa and “Darwin being wrong” seemed like a ploy to get people interested, as the book really isn’t about that, it focused on other aspects more. It presents facts that oppose it and lack of evidence to support it. I wouldn’t say the book set out to debate it but it certainly isn’t the main take away.
Tidbits:
DNA tells us that there are one million differences in the genomes of each, then the rate of mutation is on average one per year. Once a rate is established, it can be used to estimate the divergence dates between other pairs of organisms. This process is called calibration.
Ekembo is known from almost every bone in its body, though not from any one complete skeleton. The coccyx is not just a vestige of a tail, it has a function; however, in most other primates, the coccyx does not exist, and other structures support those organs. Instead, these primates have caudal vertebrae, or tail bones, which curve in the opposite direction, toward the back, thus creating an external tail. Ekembo had a coccyx, and not a tail, and this is one of the most important traits that tell us that Ekembo is in fact an ape.
If you do not have a tail, you have to manage movements in the trees with your hands and feet, which is a challenge. The absence of a tail may even have stimulated the development of those parts of the brain responsible for controlling fine movements of the extremities, especially the hands.
The area of the brain in the motor cortex that controls fine motor coordination of the hands is immediately adjacent to one of the central language areas of the brain. So the loss of the tail more than 18 million years ago in Ekembo may have been, very indirectly, a necessary condition that would lead millions of years later to the evolution of an enhanced capacity to communicate by facial expressions and eventually to the evolution of spoken language (very speculative).
Changes occur via the processes of natural selection, mutation, and random or chance recombinations, shufflings, and mixing of gene pools. Evolution is not a perfecting process, but one that leads to organisms that work in their environments as long as the environments do not change to the point where their anatomy no longer allows them to survive and reproduce.
Different diets leave different isotopic signatures (different ratios of various forms of elements such as carbon, oxygen, strontium, and calcium). Using all these techniques, paleoanthropologists have been able to describe the diets of many fossil species, from apes to Neandertals.
Whereas the brain at birth in chimps is roughly one-half its adult volume, in humans it is barely one-third. This allows for the passage of a baby through a narrower birth canal, but it results in a baby that is virtually helpless for most of the first year of life. In my opinion, this adaptation may represent the single most important event in the evolution of our genus. Birthing helpless babies means more cooperation among individuals for the care and feeding or infants, which builds social bonds and dependencies.
Another interesting possibility has to do with the likelihood that paranasal sinuses function as resonating chambers. They are air filled and encased in solid bone, which vibrates as sounds are produced by the throat. As the skull vibrates, the paranasal chambers probably affect the quality of sound produced. Since they differ in the details of their size and shape from one individual to the next (like fingerprints), their resonating effects will produce different tones in each individual, which may be one reason that each of our voices is unique.
We are killing our great ape brethren, but maybe, just maybe, we might find a way to keep them around for generations to come. Otherwise, we will be the last ape standing.
Very detailed book that has good information on biology and human evolution with evidence pointing at bone structure and teeth maturity. The book discussed at length of the history of categorizing a fossils and how to place the human genius amongst the timeline. I wouldn’t say the book had an overall goal or theory other than simply presenting the facts.
Humans are believed to have branched off from an ape ancestor in the past. We believe in Africa since African chimps are our closest cousins. This book lightly offers that there is some evidence to support EuroAsia.
This book theorizes that a global climate change may have been behind our evolution to begin with but does not dismiss the others surrounding food habits, habitat change, and more.
The theory about Africa and “Darwin being wrong” seemed like a ploy to get people interested, as the book really isn’t about that, it focused on other aspects more. It presents facts that oppose it and lack of evidence to support it. I wouldn’t say the book set out to debate it but it certainly isn’t the main take away.
Tidbits:
DNA tells us that there are one million differences in the genomes of each, then the rate of mutation is on average one per year. Once a rate is established, it can be used to estimate the divergence dates between other pairs of organisms. This process is called calibration.
Ekembo is known from almost every bone in its body, though not from any one complete skeleton. The coccyx is not just a vestige of a tail, it has a function; however, in most other primates, the coccyx does not exist, and other structures support those organs. Instead, these primates have caudal vertebrae, or tail bones, which curve in the opposite direction, toward the back, thus creating an external tail. Ekembo had a coccyx, and not a tail, and this is one of the most important traits that tell us that Ekembo is in fact an ape.
If you do not have a tail, you have to manage movements in the trees with your hands and feet, which is a challenge. The absence of a tail may even have stimulated the development of those parts of the brain responsible for controlling fine movements of the extremities, especially the hands.
The area of the brain in the motor cortex that controls fine motor coordination of the hands is immediately adjacent to one of the central language areas of the brain. So the loss of the tail more than 18 million years ago in Ekembo may have been, very indirectly, a necessary condition that would lead millions of years later to the evolution of an enhanced capacity to communicate by facial expressions and eventually to the evolution of spoken language (very speculative).
Changes occur via the processes of natural selection, mutation, and random or chance recombinations, shufflings, and mixing of gene pools. Evolution is not a perfecting process, but one that leads to organisms that work in their environments as long as the environments do not change to the point where their anatomy no longer allows them to survive and reproduce.
Different diets leave different isotopic signatures (different ratios of various forms of elements such as carbon, oxygen, strontium, and calcium). Using all these techniques, paleoanthropologists have been able to describe the diets of many fossil species, from apes to Neandertals.
Whereas the brain at birth in chimps is roughly one-half its adult volume, in humans it is barely one-third. This allows for the passage of a baby through a narrower birth canal, but it results in a baby that is virtually helpless for most of the first year of life. In my opinion, this adaptation may represent the single most important event in the evolution of our genus. Birthing helpless babies means more cooperation among individuals for the care and feeding or infants, which builds social bonds and dependencies.
Another interesting possibility has to do with the likelihood that paranasal sinuses function as resonating chambers. They are air filled and encased in solid bone, which vibrates as sounds are produced by the throat. As the skull vibrates, the paranasal chambers probably affect the quality of sound produced. Since they differ in the details of their size and shape from one individual to the next (like fingerprints), their resonating effects will produce different tones in each individual, which may be one reason that each of our voices is unique.
We are killing our great ape brethren, but maybe, just maybe, we might find a way to keep them around for generations to come. Otherwise, we will be the last ape standing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2020
Not nearly as controversial as some make it out to be, The Real Planet of the Apes is a clear and incredibly engaging account of early primate evolution. See my full reiew at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2020...
March 27, 2016
David Begun's book provides a welcome summary of the ape fossil record, with a personal angle. He argues, based on decades of study, that African apes came from a European ape ancestor, but he is quite open that most researchers don't agree, which injects his descriptions and interpretations with some dramatic tension. This book arrives at the the perfect time for me, as I'm starting to think about how I can apply what I've learned about the skeletons of modern African apes to questions about ape fossils.
September 23, 2025
It's novel, at least for me, to read a science book that puts forth a new, and somewhat radical, hypothesis. He's getting the kind of blowback that reminds me of Alfred Wegener's continental drift hypothesis. Wegener gathered a fair amount of data to support his stance, but he was shouted down by "experts". It was only long after his death that Wegener was proved to be correct and today the Theory of Plate Tectonics is the bedrock of geology. I hope Prof. Begun is more fortunate and lives to learn the fate of his hypothesis. There's some tough sledding in here for those who haven't studied or read other books on paleoanthropology, but it's worth it if you want to learn about Act 1 of human evolution.
April 29, 2021
I always find it difficult to rate non-fiction books.
Was it interesting and gave me some ideas and impulses for my research? Yes.
Was it entertaining? Sometimes.
Did it also feel like reading lists of specimen names and their morphological characteristics from time to time? Yes.
Hence my three star rating. It is a good book for anybody with more than just a mild interest in primate evolution. If you don't consider yourself part of the book you will probably find this a very tough read.
Was it interesting and gave me some ideas and impulses for my research? Yes.
Was it entertaining? Sometimes.
Did it also feel like reading lists of specimen names and their morphological characteristics from time to time? Yes.
Hence my three star rating. It is a good book for anybody with more than just a mild interest in primate evolution. If you don't consider yourself part of the book you will probably find this a very tough read.
November 13, 2017
Książka ta, to wspaniałe wprowadzenie do wielkiego obrazu ewolucji. Opierając się na najnowszych zdumiewających odkryciach w zapisie kopalnym, a także własnych doświadczeniach w prowadzeniu wypraw terenowych w Europie i Azji, autor dostarcza obszerną ewolucyjną historię wielkich małp i ludzi. Dodatkowo przyjemność czytania pogłębia jak zwykle świetne tłumaczenie Marcina Ryszkiewicza!
April 28, 2024
Really interesting! It probably requires a little more understanding of the science going in than I had, which made it somewhat difficult to understand at time. But overall, thought it was worth the read.
April 16, 2018
overly chatty and sloppy writing. often writing that some animal developed a trait "because it needed" it for something. which is not how evolution works and feeds creationist logic
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August 5, 2016599.93 B418 2016
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