Synopses & Reviews
With their large brains, sturdy physique, sophisticated tools, and hunting skills, Neanderthals are the closest known relatives to humans. Approximately 200,000 years ago, as modern humans began to radiate out from their evolutionary birthplace in Africa, Neanderthals were already thriving in Europe--descendants of a much earlier migration of the African genus
Homo. But when modern humans eventually made their way to Europe 45,000 years ago, Neanderthals suddenly vanished. Ever since the first Neanderthal bones were identified in 1856, scientists have been vexed by the question, why did modern humans survive while their evolutionary cousins went extinct?
The Invaders musters compelling evidence to show that the major factor in the Neanderthals' demise was direct competition with newly arriving humans. Drawing on insights from the field of invasion biology, which predicts that the species ecologically closest to the invasive predator will face the greatest competition, Pat Shipman traces the devastating impact of a growing human population: reduction of Neanderthals' geographic range, isolation into small groups, and loss of genetic diversity.
But modern humans were not the only invaders who competed with Neanderthals for big game. Shipman reveals fascinating confirmation of humans' partnership with the first domesticated wolf-dogs soon after Neanderthals first began to disappear. This alliance between two predator species, she hypothesizes, made possible an unprecedented degree of success in hunting large Ice Age mammals--a distinct and ultimately decisive advantage for humans over Neanderthals at a time when climate change made both groups vulnerable.
Review
If you want to understand your own mind, read this remarkable and important book. Summoning new evidence, Pat Shipman shows how our coevolution with wolves contributed to the extinction of Neanderthals and further transformed us through the process of domesticating dogs. You will never look at Fido the same way again! Mark Derr - Psychology Today
Review
Why did the Neanderthals disappear? In a judicious and enthralling account, Shipman makes a compelling case that, as a truly invasive species, humans were the main cause. An original twist adds an accomplice to the scenario: An unexpectedly early prototype of man's best friend proved to be the Neanderthals' worst enemy. Robert D. Martin, A. Watson Armour III Curator of Biological Anthropology, The Field Museum, Chicago
Review
Shipman [is] a genial and authoritative guide to a complex field...Shipman admits that scientists have yet to find genetic evidence that would prove her theory. Time will tell if she's right. For now, read this book for an engagingly comprehensive overview of the rapidly evolving understanding of our own origins. Toby Lester
Review
Few if any readers of this lucid and compelling exposition will come away believing that the early modern Europeans were not deeply implicated in the Neanderthals' disappearance. Wall Street Journal
Review
Are humans the ultimate invasive species? So contends anthropologist Pat Shipman--and Neanderthals, she opines, were among our first victims. The relationship between Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis is laid out cleanly, along with genetic and other evidence. Shipman posits provocatively that the deciding factor in the triumph of our ancestors was the domestication of wolves. Perhaps more troubling is the concept of early humans as invaders, rather than just another species finding its way. Ian Tattersall - Times Literary Supplement
Review
Since the discovery in the 19th century of Neanderthal remains, the cause of their extinction has arguably been the most compelling mystery in human evolution... The Invaders offers us the appealing prospect of an expert writing on her specialism and clearly having a great deal of fun doing so. Shipman builds an extremely compelling case for the role of Homo sapiens as an invasive species who arrived in Europe about 40,000 to 50,000 years ago and had an immediate impact on their new ecosystem. The Neanderthals were not the only victims... What makes Shipman's argument really stand out and offer a fresh perspective on the extinction of Neanderthals is the role that she gives to wolves in the process that led to the dominance of Homo sapiens. Daniel Cressey - Nature
Review
According to a leading U.S. anthropologist, early dogs, bred from wolves, played a critical role in the modern human's takeover of Europe 40,000 years ago when we vanquished the Neanderthal locals... If Shipman is right, she will have solved one of evolution's most intriguing mysteries. Simon Underdown - Times Higher Education
Review
[A] cautious but compelling argument. Robin McKie - The Observer
Review
Provocative...Shipman's story makes for a dramatic and compelling narrative. Brian Bethune - Maclean's
Synopsis
Humans domesticated dogs soon after Neanderthals began to disappear. This alliance between two predator species, Pat Shipman hypothesizes, made possible unprecedented success in hunting large Ice Age mammals--a distinct and ultimately decisive advantage for human invaders at a time when climate change made both humans and Neanderthals vulnerable.
Synopsis
Of the worldandrsquo;s dogs, only 1 out of every 4 and#160;could be considered pets, provided with food, shelter, breeding, grassy parks, doggie spas and day care.and#160; But millions of dogs roam the planet.and#160; These are village dogs, or neighborhood dogsandmdash;those that live in Masai villages, the streets of Calcutta, or that inhabit the Mexico City Dump.and#160; They are unrestrained, they are not owned, and, most importantly, humans exert no control over their reproductionandmdash;these are dogs, not pets.and#160; Like other wild species, these dogs have evolved to particular niches, often in the vicinity of humans, as they are highly adapted scavengers.and#160; And their adaptation is behavioral and morphologicalandmdash;the dogs themselves tend to look alike.and#160; Measurements of temple dogs in Thailand are strikingly similar to mountain dogs of Ethiopia, to the urban dogs of Nassaue and Mexico City.
We read rarely of these dogs, but their story is one of incredible natural selection.and#160; And they provide a fascinating means of exploring what it actually meansandmdash;genetically and behaviorallyandmdash;to be a dog. Raymond and Lorna Coppinger have studied these dogs for nearly four decades, and building upon their Dogs, which we published in paperback, they here present the first general interest book on these dogs.and#160; The book runs counter to the many books now available about companion dogsandmdash;and particular breeds.and#160; Many a bulldog or greyhound afficianado may be disappointed to learn how little their beloveds actually resemble dogs.and#160;
The dogs the Coppingers introduce here are hardly our best friendandmdash;they are responsible for the 70,000 human deaths from rabid bites each year. They also are the worldandrsquo;s second largest public health problemandmdash;sexually transmitted diseases being the first.and#160; What is a Dog? explores the natural history of these dogs.and#160; What resources (food, water, shelter) are available to them? How are those resources shared or competed for? How does an animal convert food into energy without being eaten itself? How does the physical environment, the andldquo;ecological landscape,andrdquo; shape behavior?and#160; Readersandmdash;dog lovers and those curious about animal origins in generalandmdash;will walk unleashed into a new appreciation for just what it means to be a dog.
Synopsis
Of the worldandrsquo;s dogs, less than two and#160;hundred million are pets, living with humans who provide food, shelter, squeaky toys, and fashionable sweaters. But roaming the planet are five times as many dogs who are their own mastersandmdash;neighborhood dogs, dump dogs, mountain dogs. They are dogs, not companions, and these dogs, like pigeons or squirrels, are highly adapted scavengers who have evolved to fit particular niches in the vicinity of humans. In
What Is a Dog? experts on dog behavior Raymond and Lorna Coppinger, present an eye-opening analysis of the evolution and adaptations of these unleashed dogs and what they can reveal about the species as a whole.
Exploring the natural history of these creatures, the Coppingers explain how the village dogs of Vietnam, India, Africa, and Mexico are strikingly similar. These feral dogs, argue the Coppingers, are in fact the real representative dogs, nearly uniform in size and shape and incredibly self-sufficient. Drawing on nearly five decades of research, they show how dogs actually domesticated themselves in order to become such sufficient scavengers of human refuse. The Coppingers also examine the behavioral characteristics that enable dogs to live successfully and to reproduce, unconstrained by humans, in environments that we ordinarily do not think of as dog- friendly.
Providing a fascinating exploration of what it actually meansandmdash;genetically and behaviorallyandmdash;to be a dog, What Is a Dog? will undoubtedly change the way any beagle or bulldog owner will reflect on their four-legged friend.
About the Author
Raymond Coppinger is professor emeritus of biology at Hampshire College. Lorna Coppinger is a biologist and science writer. Their books together include Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution, also published by the University of Chicago Press.