The Field of Human Evolution: Critical Perspectives from History and Epistemology

In recent years, the study of human evolution has made substantial advances—from major fossil and archaeological discoveries to breakthroughs in paleogenetics and analytical methods. Yet, does more data necessarily lead to better science? This volume challenges this assumption, arguing that advances in understanding human origins require critical reflection. Transforming scarce and incompete data into claims about the distant past demands also deeper insights into how such knowledge is constructed, validated, and questioned. Bringing together leading scholars from across disciplines, this volume examines the historical, philosophical, and epistemological foundations of human evolutionary research—from paleoanthropology and prehistoric archaeology to molecular anthropology and primatology. Rather than resolving long-standing debates, the authors illuminate the complexities behind them, encouraging a richer diversity of thought and method. Ideal for researchers, students, and readers in both the sciences and humanities, this book invites a deeper, more inclusive engagement with the human past.