Preambles

Where does Man come from? What did his ancestors look like? When did he first take his first steps? In these short essays, Yves Coppens demonstrates the relevance of a science, paleoanthropology, whose spectacular progress sheds new light on both the origins of civilization and the most acute problems facing man today. Through the diversity of the subjects covered, ranging from the history of evolution over the past thirty million years to questions about the role of science in contemporary society, this book is an excellent introduction to all of the human sciences. Yves Coppens is a professor at the Coll?ge de France, holding the chair of paleoanthropology and prehistory. He is a member of the Acad?mie des Sciences. He is the author of Le Singe, l'Afrique et l'Homme, a very successful bookstore, and Lucy's Knee.