Humanimal: How Homo sapiens Became Nature’s Most Paradoxical Creature—A New Evolutionary History PDF
Preview Humanimal: How Homo sapiens Became Nature’s Most Paradoxical Creature—A New Evolutionary History
“An outstandingly clear and witty account.”—Henry Marsh, author of Do No Harm How Homo sapiens Became Nature’s Most Paradoxical Creature A NEW EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY A D A M R U T H E R F O R D Bestselling author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived $25.95 US | $33.95 CAN The bestselling author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived investigates what it means to be human— and animal E volutionary theory has long established that humans are animals: Modern Homo sapiens are primates who share an ancestor with monkeys and other great apes. Our genome is 98 percent identical to a chimpanzee’s. And yet we think of ourselves as exceptional. Are we? In this original and entertaining tour of life on Earth, Adam Rutherford explores the profound paradox of the “human animal.” Looking for answers across the animal kingdom, he finds that many things once considered exclusively human are not: In Australia, raptors have been observed starting fires to scatter prey; in Zambia, a chimp named Julie even started a “fashion” of wearing grass in one ear. We aren’t the only species that communicates, makes tools, or has sex for reasons other than procreation. But we have developed a culture far more complex than any other we’ve observed. Why has that happened, and what does it say about us? Humanimal is a new evolutionary history—a synthesis of the latest research on genetics, sex, migration, and much more. It reveals what unequivocally makes us animals—and also why we are truly extraordinary. Acclaim for H U M A N I M A L “A smooth, expert, and often startling history that emphasizes that no behavior separates us from other animals, but we remain an utterly unique species.”—Kirkus Reviews “A refreshing and perspective-altering view of the complex history of life on Earth.”—Publishers Weekly “I loved this book. An outstandingly clear and witty account that shows beyond doubt how much we are part of the animal world, and yet at the same time how different we have become.” —Henry Marsh, author of Do No Harm “A kind of intellectual enema, exposing the popular myths about human exceptionalism.”—New Scientist “This delightful and charming book will change the way you see yourself and your place in the natural world.” —Ed Yong, author of I Contain Multitudes “Adam Rutherford is a master storyteller. Humanimal is packed to the brim with intriguing tales, clever twists, and up-to-the-minute scientific discoveries, offering a completely new perspective on who we are and how we came to be.” —Hannah Fry, author of Hello World “Charming, compelling, and packed with information. I learned more about biology from this short book than I did from years of science lessons. Adam Rutherford has a knack for making complex ideas understandable—and also fun. Our species is a lot stranger than I’d ever realized, but a lot more normal, too. A weird and wonderful read.”—Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads “I’ve learned more about myself and my species than I thought possible. A beautiful, compassionate book exploring not just human nature but also the human condition. I’m more in love with Adam Rutherford’s writing than ever.” —Angela Saini, author of Inferior “If teaching is what makes humans special, then Adam Rutherford is superhuman—the paragon of teachers, a truly gifted transmitter of knowledge: lucid, enlightening, witty, and delightful.”—Kate Fox, codirector of the Social Issues Research Centre “Rutherford is an engaging, witty writer. He is also a concise one. After several vast but worthy tomes about human nature that have been published recently, that makes this pithy homage to our species all the more welcome. An entertaining and blessedly succinct read.”—Guardian “[Rutherford] writes with intellectual authority and also, as a popular lecturer and broadcaster, expresses himself in a clear and persuasive manner with natural charm.”—Spectator “Adam Rutherford is a superb communicator who eruditely explores the borderlands of history, archaeology, genetics, and anthropology in this fascinating tour of our species.” —Dan Snow, host of the podcast Dan Snow’s History Hit H U M A N I M A L Also by Adam Rutherford A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Human Story Retold Through Our Genes Creation: How Science Is Reinventing Life Itself H U M A N I M A L How Homo sapiens Became Nature’s Most Paradoxical Creature A NEW EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY A DA M R U T HER FOR D Illustrations by Alice Roberts NEW YORK Humanimal: How Homo sapiens Became Nature’s Most Paradoxical Creature— A New Evolutionary History Copyright © 2018, 2019 by Adam Rutherford Illustrations copyright © 2018, 2019 by Alice Roberts Originally published in Great Britain as The Book of Humans by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, an imprint of the Orion Publishing Group Ltd., a Hachette UK company, in 2018. First published in North America by The Experiment, LLC, in 2019. All rights reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in newspaper, magazine, radio, television, or online reviews, no portion of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. The Experiment, LLC 220 East 23rd Street, Suite 600 New York, NY 10010-4658 theexperimentpublishing.com Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and The Experiment was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been capitalized. The Experiment’s books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for premiums and sales promotions as well as for fund-raising or educational use. For details, contact us at [email protected]. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request ISBN 978-1-61519-531-2 Ebook ISBN 978-1-61519-532-9 Cover and text design by Beth Bugler Cover footprints by Ksanawo/Shutterstock.com Author photograph by Stefan Jakubowski Manufactured in the United States of America First printing March 2019 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 contents List of Illustrations ix Introduction 1 part one: humans and other animals Tools 19 What It Takes to Be a Maker 29 Tooled-Up Animals 34 Sponging Dolphins 37 The Birds 41 Fiery the Angels Fell 46 War for the Planet of the Apes 57 Farming and Fashion 66 Sex 77 The Birds and the Bees 83 Autoeroticism 90 Mouthing Off 95 Whole Lotta Love 99 Homosexuality 106 And Death Shall Have No Dominion 120 Sex and Violence 123 part two: the paragon of animals Everyone Is Special 135 Genes, Bones, and Minds 139 24 – 2 = 23 143 Hands and Feet 153 Trippingly on the Tongue 157 Speak Now 165 Symbolism in Words 169 Symbolism Beyond Words 177 If Only You Could See What I’ve Seen with Your Eyes 187 Know Thyself 193 Je Ne Regrette Rien 197 Teach a Village to Fish . . . 203 The Paragon of Animals 209 Acknowledgments 217 References 219 Index 231 About the Author 246
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