Seven Million Years: The Story of Human Evolution (Phoenix Press) [Paperback]

'Seven Million Years is continuously interesting, written with style, and a pleasure to read.' (NEW SCIENTIST )

'Insightful... a really good read.' (BBC FOCUS ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'Seven Million Years is continuously interesting, written with style, and a pleasure to read.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'Insightful... a really good read.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

A voyage into the deep past to discover how we became human, and how modern science is rewriting our family tree.

Seven million years ago there were ape-like animals living in the forests and woodlands of Africa who were our ancestors. They were also the ancestors of the chimpanzee. It's still a provocative thought today, but when the first steps toward this realization were taken, most scientists still believed in the special creation of humans and the story of the flood. Over the years, scientific research has uncovered a fascinating human family tree with over twenty members, and more extinct relatives still being identified. Seven Million Years explores the discovery of our own species, our nearest relatives and an ancient shared history. It tells the stories of the archaeological finds, the people who made them, and how these powerful revelations have altered how we perceive ourselves, our uniqueness as human beings, and our sense of self in relation to other animals.

Douglas Palmer is a science writer and lecturer. He is the author of Neanderthal, which accompanied the acclaimed Channel 4 TV series, as well as other books on fossil prehistory. He is also a regular contributor to a variety of publications including the Financial Times, The Guardian, Science, Nature and Focus Magazine.