Under The Microscope

APES & ANCESTORS, by Martin Hanson; Longman Paul 1991; 118 pages; $21.95

It's a sign of the times. In the introductions, the author and an emeritus professor feel compelled to justify the lack of reference in Apes & Ancestors to creationist positions. Life must be fun for paleoanthropologists. The social context of the work, however, doesn't detract from the execution of this textbook on evolution intended for senior secondary students.

My rule of thumb with the content of textbooks is that they should both answer questions and provoke the reader into further research. The detail provided, particularly with regard to dating methods, gives the why and how. Gems like the chapter on molecular taxonomy give the want-more.

The presentation is also of a high standard. An intelligent "key concept" style of subheading, and a logical approach to the introduction of terms enhance the readability of the text.

I'm not so sure about the attempts to make the sections on primates relevant to New Zealand. Throwing in the occasional picture of a chimp at Auckland zoo smacks more of desperation than inspiration. Apes & Ancestors doesn't convey the excitement of paleoanthropology as well as Lucy -- which is mentioned in the bibliography --  but that's a little much to expect from a textbook. Highly recommended.

Tony Smith, NZSM