Interdisciplinary Research into Cultural and Biological Transformations in the Paleolithic Period (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9783725831623)

The incredibly long Paleolithic period is still considered by some to be a stagnant phase in human cultural and biological evolution prior to the appearance of our direct ancestors. However, in recent years, extensive interdisciplinary research has clearly demonstrated that this is not the case. Starting from the earliest stages of human presence on the planet some three million years ago, an impressive series of transformations, innovations, modifications and adaptations characterize our lineage. These changes in behavior and culture took place alongside biological adaptations in human physical properties, faunal turnovers and extinctions, as well as climatic fluctuations. This makes the Old Stone Age a hectic, dynamic and lively epoch that is worthy of investigation, both at the diachronic and synchronic levels, in order to decipher the nature of the transformations that characterize the emergence, prosperity and legacy of our lineage. This Special Issue, titled "Interdisciplinary Research into Cultural and Biological Transformations in the Paleolithic Period", presents state-of-the-art, as well as outside-of-the-box, studies regarding changes in human adaptation, human physiology, faunal diversity and climatic fluctuations, as well as the possible nexus between these lines of inquiry.