The Bone Readers: Science and Politics in Human Origins Research

by Claudio Tuniz, Richard Gillespie, Cheryl Jones

The Bone Readers are a dedicated group of scholars who study the earliest human remains, their chemistry and DNA, their extinct floral and faunal contemporaries, and the geologic layers in which they were found. Their research leads them to theories about modern human origins that continually challenge conventional wisdom and cherished beliefs— about “Eve,” Neanderthals, “hobbits,” and the Bering Straits, among others. Two leading Bone Readers and a science writer have penned a literate, authoritative summary of the current questions and the minefield of academic politics that surround it. Ideal for students in human origins or biological anthropology courses, and a delightful read.

Genres: History, Science, Evolution

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally a good book on paleoanthropology. Unusual, though.

Exactly what the title says: how the Bone Readers (researchers, working with hominid skulls) are influenced by politics in science. Multiregionists vs. africanists, not only Australian. While interesting, I would prefer a more gentle popularized version of it, providing arranged facts and a food for thought, striped from professional bickering.

Examples, names, locations, publications, rivals, lines of confrontations. Rather self-expression of disillusioned specialist addressed to insiders, than of interest to general audience.

Dense, a lot of information for such small book, they even found place to stuff it by unnecessary details and colorful passages.

A very odd, but correct, English, even I thought that I saw them all. With paragraph and thought breaks where they shouldn't be, and rather a sketchy, interrupted way to deliver the content. Eventually one adapts, but it slows reading and comprehension, and is it worth the troubles? I'm not that interested in the topic: nice to know, draws attention to less known information, but this is much more than I bargained for.

4 stars on scale from bad to very good, 3 on GoodReads scale: in general, I liked it.

[Lloyd Downey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's quite a while since I bought this book so when i eventually got around to reading it, I was not sure what it was really about. In fact, it is largely about the dating and interpretation of old human remains. And what I found fascinating was that the results and interpretations take on very powerful political messages. There is a strong emphasis on the situation in Australia where some old aboriginal remains were found at "The great walls of China". I've always wanted to visit the area ..especially when driving along the Hay road....dead flat in all directions ...and a sign pointing vaguely north to the "Great Walls of China". I did live in Griffith for a number of years and took the odd trip west to Hay, Hell, and Booligal...but never quite got to the Walls. I digress. Some ancient human remains were found here on what used to be a lake foreshore and they have been the source of controversy ever since. Local aborigines laid claim to the remains whilst the scientists were intent on dating and (later) DNA analysing them. They appear to be somewhere between 40,000-50,000 years old and the age and "Gracility" of the owner raises questions about migratory pathways and the origins of the aborigines. I guess one should also question whether the current aboriginal people are the direct descendants of these early inhabitants or were they later arrivals......after all ....a lot can happen in 50,000 years.
What the book makes clear is that archeology/anthropology is a bit of a mine field of competing ideas and the various researchers are keen to push their own theories and equally keen to disparage other theories. It's also clear that the tools and techniques (especially contamination of DNA samples) are not as sophisticated or accurate as one might hope for. ....they have left a lot of room for doubt and competing theories to survive.
One of the big political issues is: did the arrival of the aborigines lead to the extermination of megafauna and to changing the landscape though burning. I found it fascinating that some interpreters were quite happy to disregard the science and the measurements and give much more weight to the oral tradition. (Though we know, from relatively modern history, say about the origins of christianity, how confusing and contradictory oral traditions can become. And even written narratives can be censored ...as with the selection of a certain canon of books for the new testament.
Anyway, the archeologists tend to play fairly rough and, (to my mind) draw fairly fanciful conclusions based on limited evidence. But there does seem to be a good case that the aborigines were probably responsible for wiping out the megafauna and for transforming the landscape through fire stick "farming". That is not to make any moral judgements about these conclusions ...but inevitably...the issues become political and scientists who were trying to draw up DNA charts for indigenous people around the world got the least cooperation from Australia. ...a pity.
Bottom line, I found the book quite illuminating. I learned a lot. Give it four stars.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Or shorter: these isn't much science there, mostly politics done by government bureaucrats.

[Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Background: I am not a archaeologist, palaeontologist, anthropologist, nor any of the many flavors of scientists who populate the pages of this book. Additionally, I have had no formal education in any of these sciences. I am what may be described as a layperson.

From the perspective of layperson, I found this book to be very interesting. I admit to 'skimming' when the occasional description became very technical. This was somewhat rare and was typically the case when describing different dating methods (radio-carbon dating. etc.). It was for me an excellent introduction into the science of human origins research and the emotional reaction to that research by various individuals and groups.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice short primer on Australian archaeology with a nice comparison between US and Australian incidents of megafaunal extinctions and self-provisioning strategies. I thought there would be more information on Mongo Lady and Mongo Man, but there was not that much on them, though there is a nice chapter on H. floresiensis. A nice read, even for lay audiences (although there are more specialized chapters, like one on absolute dating, etc.).

[Fiona Ottley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, very frustrating though. Glad I don't work in archaeology. Even though the topic fascinates me, the politics would make me go postal.