We tend to see history and evolution springing from separate roots, one grounded in the human world and the other in the natural world. Human beings... have, however, become probably the most powerful species shaping evolution today, and human-caused evolution in other species has probably been the most important force shaping human history. This book introduces readers to evolutionary history, a new field that unites history and biology to create a fuller understanding of the past than either can produce on its own. Evolutionary history can stimulate surprising new hypotheses for any field of history and evolutionary biology. How many art historians would have guessed that sculpture encouraged the evolution of tuskless elephants? How many biologists would have predicted that human poverty would accelerate animal evolution? How many military historians would have suspected that plant evolution would convert a counter-insurgency strategy into a rebel subsidy? With examples from around the globe, this book will help readers see the broadest patterns of history and the details of their own life in a new light.

Evolution is the single most important idea in modern biology, shedding light on virtually every biological question, from the shape of orchid blossoms... to the distribution of species across the planet. Until recently, however, the theory has had little impact on medical research or practice. Evolutionary Medicine shows how this is beginning to change. Collecting work from leaders in the field, this volume describes an array of new and innovative approaches to human health that are based on an appreciation of our long evolutionary history. For example, it shows how evolution helps to explain the complex relationship between our immune systems and the virulence and transmission of human viruses. It also shows how comparisons between how we live today and how our hunter-gatherer ancestors lived thousands of years ago illuminate a variety of contemporary ills, including obesity, lower-back pain, and insomnia. Evolutionary Medicine covers issues at every stage of life, from infancy (colic, jaundice, SIDS, parent-infant sleep struggles, ear infections, breast-feeding, asthma) to adulthood (sexually transmitted diseases, depression, overeating, addictions, child abuse, cardiovascular disease, breast and ovarian cancer) to old age (osteoporosis, geriatric sleep problems). Written for a wide range of students and researchers in medicine, anthropology, and psychology, it is an invaluable guide to this rapidly developing field.

Building on the success of their groundbreaking anthology Evolutionary Medicine (OUP, 1999), Wenda R. Trevathan, E. O. Smith, and James J. McKenna... provide an up-to-date and thought-provoking introduction to the field with this new collection of essays. Ideal for courses in evolutionary medicine, medical anthropology, and the evolution of human disease, Evolutionary Medicine and Health: New Perspectives presents twenty-three original articles that examine how human evolution relates to a broad range of contemporary health problems including infectious, chronic, nutritional, and mental diseases and disorders. Topics covered include disease susceptibility in cultural context, substance abuse and addiction, sleep disorders, preeclampsia, altitude-related hypoxia, the biological context of menstruation, and the role of stress in modern life. An international team of preeminent scholars in biological anthropology, medicine, biology, psychology, and geography contributed the selections. Together they represent a uniquely integrative and multidisciplinary approach that takes into account the dialogue between biology and culture as it relates to understanding, treating, and preventing disease. A common theme throughout is the description of cases in which biological human development conflicts with culturally based individual behaviors that determine health outcomes. Detailed, evidence-based arguments make the case that all aspects of the human condition covered in the volume have an evolutionary basis, while theoretical discussions using other empirical evidence critique the gaps that still remain in evolutionary approaches to health. Evolutionary Medicine and Health: New Perspectives features an introductory overview that covers the field's diverse array of topics, questions, lines of evidence, and perspectives. In addition, the editors provide introductions to each essay and an extensive bibliography that represents a state-of-the-art survey of the literature. A companionwebsite at www.oup.com/us/evolmed offers a full bibliography and links to source articles, reports, and databases. Written in an engaging style that is accessible to students, professionals, and general readers, this book offers a unique look at how an evolutionary perspective has become increasingly relevant to the health field and medical practice.

Parasites are everywhere. And they affect almost every aspect imaginable in the life of their hosts. Parasites influence host physiology, behavior, life... histories, and the structure of entire ecosystems. To cope with these constant threats, the host's immune system has evolved to become one of the most complex organs known. But parasites, too, have found their own ways to overcome defences and to manipulate their hosts for their own interests. As a result, hosts and parasite are constantly forced to adapt to one another, sometimes very rapidly, sometimes changes occur only over eons. But this struggle always has far reaching consequences for the biology of both parties. For the first time, this book gives a comprehensive overview over the many facets of host-parasite interactions, from the molecular bases to individual strategies and to the ecological and evolutionary consequences. It is informed by the progress in our understanding that has occurred over the past decades. No longer do we view well-adapted parasites to become harmless but, quite to the contrary, parasite virulence is, determined, both, by the processes that lead to harm and by the evolutionary costs and benefits of this damage. Similarly, parasitism is no longer regarded as being inevitably bad, rather it can be a major factor maintaining diversity in populations and communities, selecting for beautiful plumages of birds, or making us more social. Evolutionary Parasitology deals with a wide range of topics, from immunology, genetics, sexual selection, to population dynamics, ecology and co-evolution. Readers from different fields and with different backgrounds will find a rich source to meet their interests and to expand their insights into neighbouring disciplines.

Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Development, Second Edition considers the role of evolutionary theory in the field of developmental psychology to... examine key topics of individual human development. This unique book fills an important gap in the literature, applying evolutionary models to human development by focusing on central development issues. The book emphasizes both domain-general evolved psychological mechanisms and domain-specific processes. The text also integrates behavior-genetic research with evolutionary and developmental principles. Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Development provides state-of-the-art groundwork in evolutionary theory as viewed by leading thinkers in the field.

The second edition of Evolutionary Psychology is the only book on the market that shows the relevance of evolutionary thinking to the entire range of... psychological phenomena, and it does so at a level appropriate for readers new to the field. Each chapter deals with a particular topic by illustrating how an evolutionary approach illuminates behavior as a response to problems faced by humans in our evolutionary past. The authors—representing the disciplines of both psychology and anthropology—present their material traditionally: they first provide the foundation for understanding the fundamentals of modern evolutionary theory; then systematically apply this theory to learning, cognition, perception, emotion, development, pathology, and more. For any reader interested in a richer understanding of human behavior and the psychological mechanisms that underlie it.

Starting with its origins in the work of Charles Darwin, the book covers all the key areas of evolutionary psychology, including the role played by... genetics in our sexual behavior, parental decision-making, and how babies learn about and adapt to the world.

Evolutionary psychology starts from the premise that the human brain is the product of natural selection; therefore, by adopting an evolutionary stance,... we might come to better understand the mind and behaviour. The second edition of this highly acclaimed textbook gives an introduction to the fascinating science of evolutionary psychology covering its history, from the Ancient Greeks to the present day, and discusses how evolution can illuminate many of the topics taught in psychology departments. This new edition, now in 2 colour, includes an additional chapter on 'Evolution and Individual Differences' which discusses how evolution might account for differences in personality and intelligence. With an engaging style and user-friendly format featuring end-of-chapter summaries, critical thinking questions and guides to further reading, this is a stand-alone textbook for undergraduates studying evolutionary psychology.

Many books in evolutionary psychology emphasize just a small part of the total picture. Evolutionary Psychology gives students a clear understanding of... how current psychological knowledge of human behavior and experience draws from a variety of perspectives. It begins with an understanding of evolution and the close connection between organisms and their environment. It provides the student the basics necessary to see how the environment and the turning on and off of genes can influence humans and the cultures in which they live. The book shows that we solve certain problems of life as many species have done for years. It also shows a glimpse of human abilities not seen in other species. We use language. We purposely teach our children. We build large cities that survive long after a single generation. We create cultures that through their writings and art can influence other humans thousands of years later. Current research in social processes, decision making, and brain imaging is presented in a clear manner throughout the book. The book emphasizes developmental processes and family relationships, sexual and social relationships, as well as emotionality and language. The book concludes by applying an evolutionary understanding approach to examine the areas of health and disease, psychopathology, and culture.

For courses in Evolutionary Psychology .     David Buss, one of the foremost researchers in the field, has thoroughly revised his already... successful text with nearly 400 new references to provide an even more comprehensive overview of this dynamic field. Using cutting-edge research and an engaging writing style, the Fourth Edition of Evolutionary Psychology  ensures that your students will master the material presented.

The third edition of Evolutionary Psychology continues to be the premier text for the burgeoning field of evolutionary psychology, and this major update... contains nearly 400 new references.

In the first edition, Evolutionary Psychology was the premier and original text for the burgeoning field of evolutionary psychology. The second edition... continues this legacy. David Buss, one of the foremost researchers in the field, has thoroughly revised his already enormously successful text to provide an even more comprehensive overview of this dynamic field. Using cutting-edge research and an engaging writing style, the Second Edition of Evolutionary Psychology ensures that your students will master the material presented.

Written in a lively and engaging manner, this new work places evolutionary psychology within the broad sweep of our primate heritage and the full scope... of our evolutionary story. Beginning with the basics of evolution, the book first unpacks the far-ranging saga of human evolution, then moves on to examine motor behavior and emotions, sexual behavior and mate selection, and higher cognition.

A short, broad introduction to the emerging field of evolutionary psychology (the study of adaptive significance of behavior). 10 short chapters... introduce the reader to the major topics within the field of evolutionary psychology (from "Social Order and Disorder" to "Mating and Reproduction" to "The Creative Impulse: The Origins of Technology and Art"). For psychologists, students, or anyone interested in evolutionary psychology.