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1 - Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 August 2009

By
G. E. Krovitz ,
A. J. Nelson  and
J. L. Thompson
Edited by
J. L. Thompson ,
G. E. Krovitz  and
A. J. Nelson
G. E. Krovitz
Affiliation:
Postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Anthropology Pennsylvania State University
A. J. Nelson
Affiliation:
Associate Professor in the Department of Anthro-pology University of Western Ontario
J. L. Thompson
Affiliation:
Paleoanthropologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Ethnic Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
J. L. Thompson
Affiliation:
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
G. E. Krovitz
Affiliation:
Pennsylvania State University
A. J. Nelson
Affiliation:
University of Western Ontario
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Summary

Background

The field of paleoanthropology has traditionally concentrated on the adult form of our fossil predecessors. This work has led to detailed insights in the fields of phylogeny, biomechanics, function, and environmental interactions, and has made enormous contributions to our understanding of hominid adaptation and evolution. There are many reasons for concentrating on adult morphology. First, most of the preserved fossils are adult individuals. Second, the adult form is relatively stable over many years of an individual's life, and thus represents a manifestation of the many evolutionary pressures acting on a particular individual and other members of the taxon. Lastly, there has been historical bias against the study of juvenile individuals (Johnston, 1968; Johnston & Schell, 1979; Johnston & Zimmer, 1989).

However, even the most detailed understanding of the adult form still gives an incomplete picture of the adaptation and evolution of our hominid predecessors. There are many reasons that the study of adult individuals alone is not sufficient. First, humans have a life-history pattern that includes a relatively (and absolutely) long juvenile period. Thus, if typical life expectancy among our recent hominid predecessors was only three or four decades (e.g., Bermúdez de Castro & Nicolas, 1997; Trinkaus, 1995; Trinkaus & Tompkins, 1990), less than half of the total life span of a typical individual would have been spent as an adult.

Type
Chapter
Information
Patterns of Growth and Development in the Genus Homo , pp. 1 - 12
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2003

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  • Introduction
    • By G. E. Krovitz, Postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Anthropology Pennsylvania State University, A. J. Nelson, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthro-pology University of Western Ontario, J. L. Thompson, Paleoanthropologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Ethnic Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  • Edited by J. L. Thompson, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, G. E. Krovitz, Pennsylvania State University, A. J. Nelson, University of Western Ontario
  • Book: Patterns of Growth and Development in the Genus <I>Homo</I>
  • Online publication: 12 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511542565.001
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  • Introduction
    • By G. E. Krovitz, Postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Anthropology Pennsylvania State University, A. J. Nelson, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthro-pology University of Western Ontario, J. L. Thompson, Paleoanthropologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Ethnic Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  • Edited by J. L. Thompson, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, G. E. Krovitz, Pennsylvania State University, A. J. Nelson, University of Western Ontario
  • Book: Patterns of Growth and Development in the Genus <I>Homo</I>
  • Online publication: 12 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511542565.001
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
    • By G. E. Krovitz, Postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Anthropology Pennsylvania State University, A. J. Nelson, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthro-pology University of Western Ontario, J. L. Thompson, Paleoanthropologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Ethnic Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  • Edited by J. L. Thompson, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, G. E. Krovitz, Pennsylvania State University, A. J. Nelson, University of Western Ontario
  • Book: Patterns of Growth and Development in the Genus <I>Homo</I>
  • Online publication: 12 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511542565.001
Available formats
×