In the most revolutionary archaeological find of the new century, an international team of archaeologists led by Mike Morwood discovered a new, diminutive species of human on the remote Indonesian island of Flores. Nicknamed the “Hobbit,” this was no creation of Tolkien's fantasy. The three foot tall skeleton with a brain the size of a chimpanzee’s was a tool-using, fire-making, cooperatively hunting person who inhabited Flores alongside modern humans as recently as 13,000 years ago. This book is Morwood’s description of this monumental discovery and the intense study that has been undertaken to validate his view of its relationship to our species. He chronicles the bitter debates over Homo Floresiensis, the objections (some spiteful) of colleagues, the theft and damage of some of the specimens, and the endless battle against government and academic bureaucracies that hindered his research. This updated paperback edition contains an epilogue that reports on the most recent debates, findings, and analyses of this amazing discovery.
In the most revolutionary archaeological find of the new century, an international team of archaeologists led by Mike Morwood discovered a new, diminutive species of human on the remote Indonesian island of Flores. Nicknamed the “Hobbit,” this was no creation of Tolkien's fantasy. The three foot tall skeleton with a brain the size of a chimpanzee’s was a tool-using, fire-making, cooperatively hunting person who inhabited Flores alongside modern humans as recently as 13,000 years ago. This book is Morwood’s description of this monumental discovery and the intense study that has been undertaken to validate his view of its relationship to our species. He chronicles the bitter debates over Homo Floresiensis, the objections (some spiteful) of colleagues, the theft and damage of some of the specimens, and the endless battle against government and academic bureaucracies that hindered his research. This updated paperback edition contains an epilogue that reports on the most recent debates, findings, and analyses of this amazing discovery.
This multidisciplinary book focuses on the relationships and interactions between palaeobiogeography, biogeography, dispersal, vicariance, migrations and evolution of organisms in the SE Asia-Australasian region. The book investigates biogeographic links between SE Asia and Australasia which go back more than 500 million years. It also focuses on the links between geological evolution and biological migrations and evolution in the region. It was in the SE Asian region that Alfred Russell Wallace established his biogeographic line, now known as Wallace's Line, which was the beginning of biogeography. Wallace also independently developed his theory of evolution based on his work in this area.;The book brings together, for the first time, geologists, palaeontologists, zoologists, botanists, entomologists, evolutionary biologists and archaeologists, in the one volume, to relate the region's geological past to its present biological peculiarities. The book is organized into six sections. Section 1 Paleobiogeographic Background provides overviews of the geological and tectonic evolution of SE Asia-Australasia, and changing patterns of land and sea for the last 540 million years. Section 2 Palaeozoic and Mesozoic Geology and Biogeography discusses Palaeozoic and Mesozoic biogeography of conodonts, brachiopods, plants, dinosaurs and radiolarians and the recognition of ancient biogeographic boundaries or Wallace Lines in the region. Section 3 Wallace's Line focuses on the biogeographic boundary established by Wallace, including the history of its establishment, its significance to biogeography in general and its applicability in the context of modern biogeography.;Section 4 Plant biogeography and evolution includes discussion on primitive angiosperms, the diaspora of the southern rushes, and environmental, climatic and evolutionary implications of plants and palynomorphs in the region. The biogeography and migration of insects, butterflies, birds, rodents and other non-primate mammals is discussed in section 5, Non Primates. The final section 6 Primates focuses on the biogeographic radiation, migration and evolution of primates and includes papers on the occurrence and migration of early hominids and the requirements for human colonization of Australia.
This is the first book-length study of the archaeology of Australia's deserts, one of the world's major habitats and the largest block of drylands in the southern hemisphere. Over the last few decades, a wealth of new environmental and archaeological data about this fascinating region has become available. Drawing on a wide range of sources, The Archaeology of Australia's Deserts explores the late Pleistocene settlement of Australia's deserts, the formation of distinctive desert societies, and the origins and development of the hunter-gatherer societies documented in the classic nineteenth-century ethnographies of Spencer and Gillen. Written by one of Australia's leading desert archaeologists, the book interweaves a lively history of research with archaeological data in a masterly survey of the field and a profoundly interdisciplinary study that forces archaeology into conversations with history and anthropology, economy and ecology, and geography and Earth sciences.
Captain James T. Kirk and the Starship Enterprise™ have been sent to the planet Nador to participate in a watershed event: the Nadorians' first true election, to vote on whether or not to join the United Federation of Planets. Supporting the Federation are the planet's joint rulers: Their Serene Highnesses Abon and Delor, Siamese twins joined at the spinal cord to represent the unity of the different tribes of Nador. But a shadowy group of fanatics wants nothing to do with the Federation, and will stop at nothing -- whether it be assassinating the princes or kidnapping Captain Kirk's nephew Peter -- to achieve their goals! Kirk must work to stop the fanatics from wreaking havoc on Nador, and from harming his beloved nephew -- but even he may be hard-pressed to stem the tide of chaos when the princes' horrible secret is revealed!
When your ship falls under the thrall of the ancient Landru super-computer, or when you discover an alien device planted on your world before life evolved, call in Captain David Gold and the miracle workers from the Starfleet Corps of Engineers team on the U.S.S. da Vinci. Captain Gold and Dr. Elizabeth Lense must face their greatest trials yet. Gold must confront an old friend who has turned terrorist and threatens the lives of millions -- including the terrorist's own daughter. And Lense must put aside the horrors she faced in the Dominion War to find a cure for a plague on Sherman's Planet before that world's entire population -- and the crew of the da Vinci -- perish. SCE: No Surrender contains the complete eBook editions of S.C.E. adventures #13-16.
Construction behaviour occurs across the entire spectrum of the animal kingdom and affects the survival of both builders and other organisms associated with them. Animal Architecture provides a comprehensive overview of the biology of animal building. The book recognizes three broad categories of built structure: homes, traps, and courtship displays. Even though some of these structures are complex and very large, the behaviour required to build them is generally simple and the anatomy for building unspecialized. Standardization of building materials helps to keep building repertoires simple, while self-organizing effects help create complexity. In a case-study approach to function, insects demonstrate how homes can remain operational while they grow, spiderwebs illustrate mechanical design, and the displays of bowerbirds raise the possibility of persuasion through design rather than just decoration. Studies of the costs to builders provide evidence of optimal designs and of trade-offs with other life history traits. As ecosystem engineers, the influence of builders is extensive and their effect is generally to enhance biodiversity through niche construction. Animal builders can therefore represent model species for the study of the emerging subject of environmental inheritance. Building, and in particular building with silk, has been demonstrated to have important evolutionary consequences. This book is intended for students and researchers in comparative animal biology, but will also be of relevance and use to the increasing numbers of architects and civil engineers interested in developing ideas from the animal kingdom.
Africa is home to an amazing array of animals, including the world's most diverse assortment of large mammals. These include the world's largest terrestrial mammal, the African elephant, which still roams great swathes of the continent alongside a host of hooved mammals such as hippopotamuses, giraffes, rhinoceroses, and zebras. African Ark: Mammals, Landscape and the Ecology of a Continenttells the story of where these mammals have come from and how they have interacted to create the richly varied landscape that makes up Africa as we know it today. It also highlights small mammals, such as rodents and bats, which are often overlooked by both naturalists and zoologists in favour of their larger cousins. African Arkexplains the processes through which species and population groups are formed and how these fluctuate over time. It explores the impact of megafauna on the environment and the important roles they play in shaping the landscape. In this way, mammals such as elephants and rhinoceros support countless plant communities and the habitats of many smaller animals. The book brings in a human perspective as well as a conservation angle in its assessment of the interaction of African mammals with the people who live alongside them. African Arkis at once scientifically rigorous - drawing on the contributions of numerous zoologists, ecologists and conservationists - and an engaging read for anyone dedicated to the understanding of Africa and its wildlife.
Unlike modern people, those in prehistory were adept at entering trance; what we now call shamanism. This gave access to alternative realms where people met and befriended entities that they thought of as spirits. To the people of the past, the otherworld of trance, and the spirits that resided there, were as real to them as anything else they encountered. Until recently, this otherworldly realm was closed to archaeology; there was no way to reconstruct ancient thought. This changed with the advent of modernneurology. For the first time we can now enter the minds of those who lived thousands of years ago and begin to unravel their lives: the world as they would have believed it to be. In this bold and groundbreaking book, Dr Williams tackles all the big subjects in archaeology: the spread of humans from Africa, the rise of social groups, the adoption of agriculture, the construction of monuments, the emergence of metal, and the fall of the Celtic tribes. Showing that belief was central to these epic changes, as well as influencing the most mundane, everyday task, a new understanding of our prehistoric past emerges. Whilst being extensively researched, a fast-paced and engaging narrative makes this a page-turning read. Evocative vignettes supplement the text and take readers back in time to experience for themselves the sights, smells, and sounds of the past. This is a new way to approach prehistory, putting people and the beliefs that they held centre stage. For without understanding people's beliefs, we will never comprehend their world. Mike Williams has an MA and PhD from the University of Reading and is a shamanic practitioner and teacher, having studied with indigenous shamanic teachers in Siberia and Lapland. He has written many academic and popular articles and is the author of: Follow the Shaman's Call: An Ancient Path for Modern Lives, which was published by Llewellyn Worldwide in January 2010. He lives in a secluded valley in Wales with his wife and various animals
Anglo-American Stage and Screen Drama analyses and discusses the contemporary role of stage and screen drama as a critical forum for progressive thinking in an increasingly polarised geopolitical world. The book addresses the cultural politics of socially engaged 21st century stage plays and films, and makes the case for drama as a sociopolitical forum, in which the complex and contentious issues that confront society can be explored and debated. It conceives of Anglophone political drama as a significant intervention in today’s culture wars, representing the latter as a convenient distraction from the ongoing depredations of neoliberalism. In the main part of the book selected case-study plays and films from each of the first two decades illustrate drama’s capacity to influence critical debate on social justice issues. All of the case-study texts under discussion express a powerful aesthetics of resistance to right-wing ideology, and promote inclusive and enlightened values. This broader orientation underlines drama’s role as a channel for critical agency in today’s putative post-socialist, post-democratic climate.
A modern-day Raiders of the Lost Ark -- the story of the discovery of an entirely new species of human. When in October 2004 the prestigious science publication Nature published the discovery of a 3-foot (1-metre) tall hominid skeleton, the world's press went wild. Hailed as one of the most important scientific discoveries for years, the 'Hobbit', as the adult female came to be known, entered the history books. But until now none of the members of the original archaeological team have told their story in book form. The Discovery of the Hobbit, written by the orchestrator of the dig, describes in vivid detail what the project was aiming to achieve, what it was like to stumble across such a find, what it means for our understanding of the history of the human race and how the whole enterprise nearly collapsed under the weight of Australia's fractious relationship with Indonesia. Featuring a bizarre island where evolution ran amok in isolation from the rest of the world and an eerie myth that may well be grounded in truth -- not to mention the reasons why other 'hobbits' may well be alive and undiscovered elsewhere in Indonesia, this remarkable book is an adventure story and a fascinating investigation, a moving and personal narrative and a landmark celebration of scientific endeavour.
When in October 2004 the prestigious science publication NATURE published the discovery of a 3-foot (1-metre) tall hominid skeleton, the world's press went wild. Hailed as one of the most important scientific discoveries for years, the 'Hobbit', as the adult female came to be known, entered the history books. But until now none of the members of the original archaeological team have told their story in book form. THE DISCOVERY OF THE HOBBIT, written by the orchestrator of the dig, describes in vivid detail what the project was aiming to achieve, what it was like to stumble across such a find, what it means for our understanding of the history of the human race and how the whole enterprise nearly collapsed under the weight of Australia's fractious relationship with Indonesia. Featuring a bizarre island where evolution ran amok in isolation from the rest of the world and an eerie myth that may well be grounded in truth -- not to mention the reasons why other 'hobbits' may well be alive and undiscovered elsewhere in Indonesia, this remarkable book is an adventure story and a fascinating investigation, a moving and personal narrative and a landmark celebration of scientific endeavour.
In thirty years of playing in bands and sharing musical ideas and insights with some of the top musicians in his field, Mike Marshall has enjoyed an amazing opportunity to compose music for some incredible players.The individual pieces in this book reflect a desire to create something he felt would fit the musical situation at hand: the players, the instrumentation, the music that they were interested in exploring, and their collective goals and dreams. In most cases, these tunes where learned by ear and those who played them never saw charts like these. Multi-instrumentalist Matt Flinner took on the task of transcribing Mike's music into notation and tab.
A distinctive and incomparable collection from "Mighty" Mike McGee, the class clown of spoken word and poetry slam's geek champion. This debut includes his most notable performance poems, stories, humorous anecdotes and how-to's. This handbook moves between serious love tomes, like "Open Letter to Neil Armstrong" and "Every Day," to his most irreverent and requested works, like "Puddin'" and "Like." A true road-dog, McGee travels with words and camera, many results of which are captured in this collection. The humor contained in these pages are a campfire on a lonely winter night, the poetry – a reason to shout about love.
Insomniac librarian Devin MacKenzie is yanked into a maelstrom of mayhem and mystery by the punctuation-faced crime fighter known as the Answer! Can this unlikely team take on the sinister BRAIN TRUST? A thoroughly original superhero adventure from Mike Norton (Battlepug) and Dennis Hopeless (Avengers Arena, Cable and X-Force). Collects the four-issue miniseries. * Dennis Hopeless (Cable and the X-Force, Avengers Arena) is one of comics' rising stars!
Who is Mike Hill? For 49 years, he attempted to answer the question, to no avail. Hill was known to the world as the polished, versatile talent with multi-decade broadcast experience. After joining ESPN in 2004, Hill made a name for himself at the network, beginning at the highlight desk for ESPN News and later transitioning to some of the carrier's highest-priority programming, appearing as a host on SportsCenter, NFL Live, Baseball Tonight and NBA Tonight among others. In August of 2013, Hill joined FOX Sports. The embodiment of professionalism, Hill appeared to be living the American Dream; however, his private, internal struggles were taking a toll on his ability to live and to love.Eventually, the mounting trauma resulting from childhood memories of witnessing his mother victimized by domestic violence, a lack of proper male tutelage, discovering that his stepfather was a murder for hire, and the demise of two marriages, forced Hill to his breaking point. Amidst a silent cry for help and a quest to heal from within, forced him to pick up his pen to chronicle the most prolific moments of his life.
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