Humans – who are we? Physically, we’re unremarkable in the
animal world – a hairless ape. But somehow, in combination, our characteristics
make us remarkable.
How can our fingers open this book with such precision,
prising apart pages just a fraction of a millimetre thick? How can we
understand the symbols in it and read the thoughts someone has transferred to
the page? With our union of dexterity and brain power, we discovered ways of
finding food and beating the elements not only in our home on the African
savanna, but in every habitat from jungle to Arctic waste. Uncovering exactly
how we did this is not easy. Each fossil or flint tool discovery seems to rewrite
the human story.
This thought-provoking book presents the latest advances in
understanding, challenging old myths and baked-in misconceptions – all through
the lens of the human body. Do women have hearts, lungs, and legs adapted to
running down prey because they inherited their fathers’ hunting DNA, or because
in fact, they did their share of hunting themselves? Humans tells the story of
our evolution with beautiful illustrations of our seemingly ordinary anatomy
alongside mind expanding diagrams of what we achieved with it.
About The Author
Alice Roberts
Born and raised in Bristol, Alice Roberts studied medicine
at the University of Wales College of Medicine (now part of Cardiff University)
and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor of
Science in Anatomy degrees. She obtained a Doctorate in Paleopathology in 2008
and since 2012, she has been Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the
University of Birmingham.
Roberts has written several books that explore human
evolution and history through a fascinating combination of archaeological
finds, cutting-edge DNA research and historical writing. Many of these have
also served as the basis for documentary series she has presented for the BBC,
including 2009’s The
Incredible Human Journey and The
Celts (2015). She has also presented the popular Digging for
Britain and Time Team series on the BBC. Her 2021 book Ancestors opened
a marvellous trilogy that explores Britain’s past through burial site findings,
with the first volume focusing on pre-historic Britons; the second, Buried (2022),
charting the first millennium from the Roman cremations to early Christian
burials; and the final part Crypt (2024)
shedding light on the lives and deaths of the British in the Middle Ages.
