A Brain for all Seasons
William H. Calvin’s new book is available online. (There’s also a downloadable version for the Palm OS.)
William H. Calvin
A Brain for All Seasons
University of Chicago Press, 2002
One of the most shocking scientific realizations of all time has slowly been dawning on us: the earth’s climate does great flip-flops every few thousand years, and with breathtaking speed. Many times in the lives of our ancestors, the climate abruptly cooled, just within several years. Worse was the accompanying drought and the forest fires, all around the world. Populations crashed for most mammals, including our ancestors.
Our ancestors lived through hundreds of such episodes - but each became a population bottleneck, one that eliminated most of their relatives. We are the improbable descendants of those who survived - and later thrived.
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Posted to Books • 2001.11.05 (Mon) • 21:46
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