Pr. Yves Coppens is a palaeontologist who is internationally recognised as the discoverer of many important human fossils, including those of the hominid Lucy. He is an honorary professor at the French National Museum of Natural History and at the Collège de France and a member of the Academy of Sciences and of the Academy of Medicine. He is the author of many highly successful books published by Editions Odile Jacob: Pré-ambules, Le Genou de Lucy, L’Histoire de l’homme, Yves Coppens raconte l’homme, Pré-textes and, more recently, the Présent du passé series (Le Présent du passé, Le Présent du passé au carré, Le Présent du passé au cube).

Who are the direct ancestors of humans? Why is the discovery of Lucy so essential? How did the first hominids migrate from Africa? Who was Little Foot? When was Asia first settled? When was Lutetia built?
Yves Coppens follows here the format of his latest, highly successful works published by Editions Odile Jacob: taking as his starting point an event in Prehistory (a recent archaeological finding, a new thesis in palaeontology, a current publication on ancient history) he makes us discover, in a simple, clear and entertaining manner, the essential points about our ancestors’ history.
From Africa to Europe, from the Far East to the Americas, this is an extraordinary journey through time and space that enables us to discover the past from which we all sprang.
• An illuminating work that blends, skilfully and humorously, our recent history of highly evolved creatures and the more primitive history of our earlier ancestors, including pre-humans and other mammals.

• A work that examines and puts in perspective the latest archaeological findings from around the world.

• The approach that made the success of Le Présent du passé, Le Présent du passé au carré and Le Présent du passé au cube.