Results for the keyword evolution
Alain Prochiantz
A Monkey, Yourself
Based on recent data in the sequencing of genomes, an explanation of the genetic and cellular mechanisms at the origin of the unique position of our species in the animal world.
Francis Waldvogel
A Tableau of Life Exchanges, Emergences, Complexity
A strong thesis that is applied to the entire visible and invisible world: the exchange that is the essence of the living being.
Luca Cavalli-Sforza
The Adventure of the Human Species From Population Genetics to Cultural Evolution
How evolution and human functioning made humankind the dominant species
Alain Prochiantz
The Anatomies of Thought What do squid think about ?
When we watch a squid facing up to a predator, we see it recoil, agitate the tentacles, spray a jet of ink, and then make use of the temporary blindness of the predator in order to escape to a safe hiding place. Are we able to say what it is thinking ? Evidently, we know that this behaviour is not the result of a reflex unleashed by the sight of an enemy. The mollusc is not however conscious of its acts, at least not in the sense that we, as human beings, understand this term. It is true that we are the product of a evolution of species, and that, although this may not be welcome news for everyone, we share a common ancestry with the octopus, or even the fly. Even if the structure of our cortex, and the invention of language allows us to write about octopuses (or flies), and not the other way round, the fact remains that these evolutive roots, in the same way as other animal species, including invertebrates, have something to teach us about the nature of our thoughts. Alain Prochiantz
Pascal Picq
And at the Beginning there was Man...
In forty years, the genealogical tree of human evolution has grown so extensively that it now spans six million years. But fossils, the tree of evolution and the story they tell openly challenge all prevailing ideas about evolution; and though they have been shaken, these ideas have barely begun to change. In this book, Pascal Picq examines concrete, existing proof of our origins and then goes on to offer a new view of the human position in the evolutionary process. Pascal Picq is a senior lecturer in paleo-anthropology and prehistory at the Collège de France.
Emmanuelle Pouydebat
Animal Intelligence
A surprising enquiry into the diversity of adaptive behaviour in the animal kingdom: memory, navigation, innovation, sharing and cooperation: who knows how to do what, and what exactly is the uniqueness of human intelligence?
Pierre Jaisson
The Ant and the Sociobiologist
What are the advantages of social organization? P. Jaisson, a sociobiologist, explains how among animals as various as ants, bees, tadpoles and rats, certain altruistic behavior is dependent on a recognized social order. The generalizations fostered by these findings and their application to the human speces are a source of violent debate and moral questioning. Jaisson provides an honest look at the ideological exploitation born of sociobiological study.
Éric Crubézy, Dariya Nikolaeva
Archeology of the Vanquished or History of the Victor?
An analysis of natural selection, the evolution of societies, and adaptation to climate and the environment. A different way of looking at history, by questioning what ensures the survival of certain societies facing extreme natural conditions as well as invasions and colonization.