Savannah Lives: Animal Life and the Human Evolution of Africa: Animal Life and Human Evolution in Africa

In a lively, personal style, Savannah Lives offers an introduction to the African savannahs as home to a unique wildlife and as the context for the origin and evolution of the human species. After briefly explaining the geology of the African continent and the climatic changes that have shaped its vegetation, Savannah Lives goes on to describe how the savannah is constantly modified by fire, water, elephants - and people. Much of the book is taken up with describing the lives of some of the most charismatic savannah species and how they, our predecessors, and our own species - until the latest eye blink of time - have evolved to cope with the hardships and to exploit the resources they lived among. The book explains briefly how modern human evolutionary biology sheds new light on much of our behaviour and modern life-style. The book is written for the layman interested in the natural history of savannahs, their animal inhabitants, and the human species. And most of all, it will appeal to anyone who has visited or hopes or plans to visit Africa´s savannahs with their fabulous scenery and spectacular animal diversity. Read more