to Human Diversity
Vairão, Portugal
Tshisimogo Leepang
PhD Researcher
From anatomical theatres to the Indonesian jungles, from the laboratories of Berkeley to the caves of Atapuerca and Torres Novas, some have uncovered the earliest signs of what makes us human. Anatomical and behavioural traits that seem banal to us today are, in fact, evolutionary singularities with very ancient roots that have made us what we are: migrants, yet attached to the land; hypersocial, yet wary of strangers; ultra-cooperative, yet prone to conflict; intelligent, yet credulous and vulnerable to organised deception.
When we seek to weigh what unites us and what separates us, we ultimately come to realise that what unites us is precisely what separates us.
The Road to Addis Ababa is a book about the origins and evolution of our species, and about the intellectual adventure of many of those who helped uncover them.