A Current Controversy in Human Evolution. Overview

With this issue, the editors of the American Anthropologist publish the second Contemporary Issues Forum, "A Current Controversy in Human Evolution." We find it incumbent upon the flagship journal of the profession to encourage productive discussion of issues of relevance to anthropologists and to the public. With this in mind the editors have targeted broadly significant and controversial topics as foci for the forums with a view to encouraging dialogue. The second forum opens an arena for debate in this journal regarding contemporary theories of modern human evolution and their evidential bases in genetics and the fossil record. We recognize the disputed nature of these issues and the potential importance of such controversies to the profession. Commentary on the forum papers from the readership of the American Anthropologist is welcomed.     

《人类演化》评介

《人类演化》一书,作者是美国密歇根大学古人类学教授沃尔波夫,大13开本,厚达900多面。初次看到如此又大又厚的书时,着实使人吃惊。16午前,沃尔波夫曾出版过一部《古人类学》教科书,在学术界颇有影响。现在出版的虽然书名为《人类演化》,但在编写材料的安排次序上,与前者并无二致,而在内容上却大大扩充了。全书内容分四大部分。第一部分是有关人类演化的基础知识,分三章,分别论述年代测定、演化理