Human Biogeography

Book Details

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Author: Alexander H. Harcourt

• Language: English

• ISBN: 9788131608012

• Pages: 304

• Cover: Hardcover

• Release Date: 01-12-2016

About the Book

In this groundbreaking synthesis of anthropology and biogeography, Alexander H. Harcourt explores how and why humans are distributed around the world. The book delves into the origins of humanity, the role of climate in human migration, and the barriers that shaped the spread of human populations. Harcourt examines the various ways in which human anatomy, physiology, cultural diversity, and population density vary across regions.

The book also reflects on the mutual influence between human cultures and geographic distributions, the impact of non-human species on human migration, and how humans themselves have altered the geographic ranges of other species. Additionally, the text provides a comparison between human biogeography and that of non-human primates, offering a broader perspective on the field.

Contents

1. Biogeography and Humans – An Introduction
   Part One: Why and How Are We Where We Are?

2. Origins and Dispersal

3. Climate, Hominin Evolution, and Dispersal

4. Barriers to Movement
   Part Two: Environmental Influences on Human Nature, Diversity, and Numbers

5. How Are We Adapted to Our Environment?

6. Use of Area

7. A Biogeography of Human Diet and Drugs
   Part Three: Interaction Among Cultures and Species

8. We Affect Our Biogeography

9. Other Species Affect Our Biogeography

10. We Affect Other Species’ Biogeography

About the Author / Editor

• Alexander H. Harcourt is Professor Emeritus in the Anthropology Department at the University of California, Davis. He is the coauthor of Gorilla Society and the coeditor of Coalitions and Alliances in Humans and Other Animals.