Abstract
We introduce the volume, first discussing the excitement—among professionals and public alike—that currently permeates the study of the modern human origins, and the important contributions that zooarchaeology can make to our overall understanding of this momentous period of upheaval and transition. We briefly introduce the 13 contributions included here, which are arranged geographically, beginning with Africa, then the Near East, and finally Europe. The chapters explore a range of topics and issues, though all are united in a common purpose of using faunal data to better understand the lives and lifeways of Neanderthals and “moderns,” how these hominins adapted to the harsh realities of Late Pleistocene Eurasia, and ultimately what led to the greater success of the newcomers as they spread throughout both continents.
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Clark, J.L., Speth, J.D. (2013). Introduction: Zooarchaeology and Modern Human Origins. In: Clark, J., Speth, J. (eds) Zooarchaeology and Modern Human Origins. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6766-9_1
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