Functional Inference in Paleoanthropology: Theory and Practice

In Functional Inference in Paleoanthropology, David J. Daegling proposes a new approach to investigating human evolution through the fossil record by focusing on the biology and development of bones. He argues that traditional interpretations of hominin fossil morphology can be resolved by considering the mechanobiological perspective, which considers how bones respond to deformations, stresses, and damage. The book explores how bone adapts over the lifespan, what environmental factors influence its quality, and how developmental constraints limit the skeleton's adaptive potential over evolutionary time, using rich findings from recent decades of research in skeletal biomechanics.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 01 March 2022
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

In this comprehensive exploration of functional morphology, a renowned paleoanthropologist presents a novel approach to studying human evolution through the fossil record. It is not uncommon for two functional anatomists to analyze the same fossil material and yet disagree on its evolutionary significance. How can this be? Traditionally, paleoanthropology has interpreted hominin fossil morphology by first considering the ecological challenges hominins faced and then drawing adaptive inferences based on the notion that skeletal morphology is largely a reflection of paleoecology.

In Functional Inference in Paleoanthropology, innovative paleoanthropologist David J. Daegling proposes that researchers can resolve dichotomous interpretations of the fossil record by shifting their focus to the biology and development of the bones themselves, such as measurable responses to deformations, stresses, and damage. Critically examining how scientists probe and interpret fossil morphology for behavioral and adaptive inferences, Daegling argues that an intelligible science of functional morphology in the fossil record is impossible without incorporating this mechanobiological perspective.

Drawing on historical examples from long-standing debates on the emergence of bipedality and the dietary shifts that facilitated the emergence of the hominin clade, Daegling traces the disjunctions between theoretical principles of comparative morphology and methodological practice in the paleontological context of human evolution. Sharing rich findings from recent decades of research in skeletal biomechanics, Functional Inference in Paleoanthropology examines how bone adapts over the lifespan, what environmental factors influence its quality, and how developmental constraints limit the skeleton's adaptive potential.

This book is a valuable resource for researchers, students, and enthusiasts interested in understanding the evolution of human anatomy and behavior through the lens of functional morphology. By integrating mechanobiology into paleoanthropological research, Daegling provides a fresh perspective on our past that challenges traditional assumptions and sheds light on the complex processes that shaped our species.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781421442945