From Biped to Strider
From Biped to Strider

Author: D. Jeffrey Meldrum

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2011-06-27

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 144198965X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The inspiration for this volume of contributed papers stemmed from conversations between the editors in front of Chuck Hilton's poster on the determinants of hominid walking speed, presented at thel998 meetings of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA). Earlier at those meetings, Jeff Meldrum (with Roshna Wunderlich) had presented an alternate interpretation of the Laetoli footprints based on evidence of midfoot flexibility. As the discussion ensued we found convergence on a number of ideas about the nature of the evolution of modem human walking. From the continuation of that dialogue grew the proposal for a symposium which we called From Biped to Strider: the Emergence of Modem Human Walking. The symposium was held as a session of the 69th annual meeting of the AAPA, held in San Antonio, Texas in 2000. It seemed to us that the study of human bipedalism had become overshadowed by theoften polarized debates over whether australo pithecines were wholly terrestrial in habit, or retained a significant degree of arboreality.

The Evolutionary Emergence of Language
The Evolutionary Emergence of Language

Author: Rudolf Botha

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2013-07-25

Total Pages: 355

ISBN-13: 0191626473

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The book presents new and stimulating approaches to the study of language evolution and considers their implications for future research. Leading scholars from linguistics, primatology, anthroplogy, and cognitive science consider how language evolution can be understood by means of inference from the study of linked or analogous phenomena in language, animal behaviour, genetics, neurology, culture, and biology. In their introduction the editors show how these approaches can be interrelated and deployed together through their use of comparable forms of inference and the similar conditions they place on the use of evidence. The Evolutionary Emergence of Language will interest everyone concerned with this intriguing and important subject, including those in linguistics, biology, anthropology, archaeology, neurology, and cognitive science.

The Geometry of Meaning
The Geometry of Meaning

Author: Peter Gardenfors

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2017-02-24

Total Pages: 357

ISBN-13: 0262533758

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A novel cognitive theory of semantics that proposes that the meanings of words can be described in terms of geometric structures. In The Geometry of Meaning, Peter Gärdenfors proposes a theory of semantics that bridges cognitive science and linguistics and shows how theories of cognitive processes, in particular concept formation, can be exploited in a general semantic model. He argues that our minds organize the information involved in communicative acts in a format that can be modeled in geometric or topological terms—in what he terms conceptual spaces, extending the theory he presented in an earlier book by that name. Many semantic theories consider the meanings of words as relatively stable and independent of the communicative context. Gärdenfors focuses instead on how various forms of communication establish a system of meanings that becomes shared between interlocutors. He argues that these “meetings of mind” depend on the underlying geometric structures, and that these structures facilitate language learning. Turning to lexical semantics, Gärdenfors argues that a unified theory of word meaning can be developed by using conceptual spaces. He shows that the meaning of different word classes can be given a cognitive grounding, and offers semantic analyses of nouns, adjectives, verbs, and prepositions. He also presents models of how the meanings of words are composed to form new meanings and of the basic semantic role of sentences. Finally, he considers the future implications of his theory for robot semantics and the Semantic Web.

Lower Extremity Biomechanics
Lower Extremity Biomechanics

Author: Stephen F. Albert, D.P.M., C.Ped., FACFAOM

Publisher: Bipedmed, LLC

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 447

ISBN-13: 0978896114

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Biomechanics is the study of the human body and how it behaves mechanically. This textbook is intended for all who have an interest in how our feet and legs work and particularly for those in the health care community who must remain abreast of the latest information and research. Written by leaders in the field, this books covers in detail current theoretical and applied concepts. You will find Lower Extremity Biomechanics: Theory and Practice Volume 1 a welcomed addition to your professional library.

Bigfoot: Believe It or Not
Bigfoot: Believe It or Not

Author: Don Edgers

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Published: 2018-09-13

Total Pages: 96

ISBN-13: 1546259333

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

There are many theories as to what or who the Bigfoot/Sasquatch is and/or whether there really are such creatures inhabiting our forests and mountains. These questions will be addressed in this book. The general public wonders about devotees of Bigfoot/Sasquatch searches. Readers will get an inside look into who the searchers are, what happens during the searches, where they go, when they go, why they search, and how they go about this activity. In other words, this is a Bigfoot primer for the curious and a Bigfoot confirmation for the participators and followers of this interesting outdoor activity. The author, his daughter, and grandson participated in many expeditions with a variety of Bigfoot groups over a period of four years (20122016) in the forests and mountains of the Cascades and Olympics. This is a report of what was experiencedbelieve it or not!

Apes and Human Evolution
Apes and Human Evolution

Author: Russell H. Tuttle

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2014-02-17

Total Pages: 1089

ISBN-13: 0674073169

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In this masterwork, Russell H. Tuttle synthesizes a vast research literature in primate evolution and behavior to explain how apes and humans evolved in relation to one another, and why humans became a bipedal, tool-making, culture-inventing species distinct from other hominoids. Along the way, he refutes the influential theory that men are essentially killer apes—sophisticated but instinctively aggressive and destructive beings. Situating humans in a broad context, Tuttle musters convincing evidence from morphology and recent fossil discoveries to reveal what early primates ate, where they slept, how they learned to walk upright, how brain and hand anatomy evolved simultaneously, and what else happened evolutionarily to cause humans to diverge from their closest relatives. Despite our genomic similarities with bonobos, chimpanzees, and gorillas, humans are unique among primates in occupying a symbolic niche of values and beliefs based on symbolically mediated cognitive processes. Although apes exhibit behaviors that strongly suggest they can think, salient elements of human culture—speech, mating proscriptions, kinship structures, and moral codes—are symbolic systems that are not manifest in ape niches. This encyclopedic volume is both a milestone in primatological research and a critique of what is known and yet to be discovered about human and ape potential.

Reconstructing Mobility
Reconstructing Mobility

Author: Kristian J. Carlson

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-08-05

Total Pages: 299

ISBN-13: 1489974601

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Assembles a collection of experts to provide a current account of different approaches (e.g., traditional, comparative and experimental) being applied to study mobility. Moreover, the book aims to stimulate new theoretical perspectives that adopt a holistic view of the interaction among intrinsic (i.e. skeletal) and extrinsic (i.e. environmental) factors that influence differential expression of mobility. Since the environment undoubtedly impacts mobility of a wide variety of animals, insights into human mobility, as a concept, can be improved by extending approaches to investigating comparable environmental influences on mobility in animals in general. The book teases apart environmental effects that transcend typical categories (e.g., coastal versus inland, mountainous versus level, arboreal versus terrestrial). Such an approach, when coupled with a new emphasis on mobility as types of activities rather than activity levels, offers a fresh, insightful perspective on mobility and how it might affect the musculoskeletal system.

Autobiography of God
Autobiography of God

Author: Abhijit Naskar

Publisher: Neuro Cookies

Published:

Total Pages: 143

ISBN-13: 138610633X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Many of us experience the divine presence of God in our lives, but what would happen if by some magical means we get to peek inside the mystical domain of this apparently supernatural consciousness! What if God personally tells us how does he/she/it impact over our lives and our very existence? What if this inexplicable divine entity tells us, why and how does he/she/it feel so real to many of us? Why do some people cause destruction in his/her/its name? Why are we humans so fascinated with beliefs? Why does the battle between believers and atheists never end? Let’s get inside God’s head and visualize the world and ourselves from his/her/its perspective. In this page-turning scientific odyssey we get to explore every single biological corner of God’s consciousness.

Feet and Footwear
Feet and Footwear

Author: Margo DeMello

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2009-09-10

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 0313357153

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Take a walk in someone else's shoes in this fascinating examination of shoes and feet around the world! This one-of-a-kind A-Z reference work contains over 150 fascinating entries and intriguing sidebars that look at feet and adornment of feet across the many cultures of the world throughout time. A wide range of international and multicultural topics are covered, including foot binding, fetishes, diseases of the foot, customs and beliefs related to the foot, shoe construction, myths and folktales featuring feet or shoes, the history of footwear, iconic brands and types of shoes, important celebrities associated with shoes, and the types of footwear worn around the world. This exhaustive compilation is ideal for students and general readers interested in the human body, fashion, and medicine, and even scholars looking for more in-depth coverage on the social and cultural uses of the body will find it as a useful starting point in their research. Cross-references, suggestions for further reading, and a full bibliography of print and electronic resources are valuable tools for all readers. Students can use this reference work to draw cross-cultural comparisons, as well as study the evolution of footwear in terms of social, religious, and ethnic parameters. Aside from iconic American brands and types of shoes, this volume will also look at how feet are treated and viewed around the globe: removing shoes upon entering a house, washing feet for religious purposes, giving feet the spa treatment, and covering feet up for social customs. Perfect for undergraduate and high school students studying anthropology and world culture.

We Are All Black
We Are All Black

Author: Abhijit Naskar

Publisher: Neuro Cookies

Published:

Total Pages: 86

ISBN-13: 1386392499

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

“If origin defines race, then we are all Africans – we are all black. No matter how fascinatingly white one’s skin is, or how classy one’s accent of English is, the fact remains, the whole of humanity comes from the land of Africa. It is the cradle of our species.” In this scientific literature, the celebrated Scientist Abhijit Naskar makes a humanitarian attempt with his sharp insight of the molecular realm of the mind, to unite all of humanity with the thread of biological oneness. This is a treatise of biological sciences that makes humanism triumph over the primordial evil of racial discrimination. In “We Are All Black” Naskar makes us delve deep into the neural domain of the human mind, to recognize the innate biological seeds of Racism, and empowers us to make more effective and conscientious efforts to terminate this primitive evil from the human society. We emerge from this spell-binding odyssey of science and philosophy with one sole conviction, that we are all humans coming from Africa.