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Good Reads  Evolutionary Biology  Human Evolution

Fossil Men The Quest for the Oldest Skeleton and the Origins of Humankind

By: Kermit Pattison(Author)
534 pages, b/w photos, b/w illustrations
NHBS
A remarkable and deeply researched debut, Fossil Men provides an unparalleled insider's account of the science and the scientists behind the discovery of a most unusual human ancestor: Ardipithecus ramidus.
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  • Fossil Men ISBN: 9780062410290 Paperback Sep 2021 In stock
    £12.99
    #254486
  • Fossil Men ISBN: 9780062410283 Hardback Dec 2020 Not in stock: Usually dispatched within 1-2 weeks
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About this book

A behind-the-scenes account of the shocking discovery of the skeleton of "Ardi", a human ancestor far older than Lucy – a find that shook the world of palaeoanthropology and radically altered our understanding of human evolution.

In 1994, a team led by fossil-hunting legend Tim White – "the Steve Jobs of palaeoanthropology" – uncovered the bones of a human ancestor in Ethiopia's Afar region. Radiometric dating of nearby rocks indicated the skeleton, classified as Ardipithecus ramidus, was 4.4 million years old, more than a million years older than "Lucy", then the oldest known human ancestor. The findings challenged many assumptions about human evolution – how we started walking upright, how we evolved our nimble hands, and, most significantly, whether we were descended from an ancestor that resembled today's chimpanzee – and repudiated a half-century of palaeoanthropological orthodoxy.

Fossil Men is the first full-length exploration of Ardi, the fossil men who found her, and her impact on what we know about the origins of the human species. It is a scientific detective story played out in anatomy and the natural history of the human body. Kermit Pattison brings into focus a cast of eccentric, obsessive scientists, including one of the world's greatest fossil hunters, Tim White – an exacting and unforgiving fossil hunter whose virtuoso skills in the field were matched only by his propensity for making enemies; Gen Suwa, a Japanese savant who sometimes didn't bother going home at night to devote more hours to science; Owen Lovejoy, a onetime creationist-turned-palaeoanthropologist; Berhane Asfaw, who survived imprisonment and torture to become Ethiopia's most senior palaeoanthropologist and who fought for African scientists to gain equal footing in the study of human origins; and the Leakeys, for decades the most famous family in palaeoanthropology.

An intriguing tale of scientific discovery, obsession and rivalry that moves from the sun-baked desert of Africa and a nation caught in a brutal civil war, to modern high-tech labs and academic lecture halls, Fossil Men is popular science at its best, and a must read for fans of Jared Diamond, Richard Dawkins, and Edward O. Wilson.

Customer Reviews (1)

  • A remarkable and deeply researched debut
    By Leon (NHBS Catalogue Editor) 4 Mar 2021 Written for Hardback


    When thinking of human ancestors, the name "Lucy" will likely come to mind. But a dedicated team of scientists spent decades labouring on the discovery of a species more than a million years older still, at 4.4 million years of age. Nicknamed "Ardi" and classified as Ardipithecus ramidus, it was finally revealed to the world in 2009. For a full decade, journalist Kermit Pattison immersed himself in the story of Ardi's discovery to bring to life both the science and the scientists. The resulting Fossil Men is an incredibly well-researched book that tells the definitive insider's story of how one of the most divisive fossils in palaeoanthropology was discovered by one of its most divisive characters: Tim White.

    Fossil Men stands out for its brutally honest portrayal of the main protagonist, Tim White, something for which Pattison has had the full cooperation of White, his co-workers, and his many adversaries. From the very first pages, he is unsparingly described as a relentless perfectionist with "a razor intellect, hair-trigger bullshit detector, short temper, long list of discoveries, and longer list of enemies" (p. 2). He will take as long as he darn well needs to make sure his findings are beyond bulletproof. And while many loathe being at the receiving end of his withering criticism – "enemies not only resented him; they fucking hated him" (p. 71) – many also admit that he excels at what he does: "Tim White is brutal. He's a real scientist. His literature will stay forever" (p. 4).

    Pattison follows White's story of fossil discovery in Ethiopia from its start in 1981. Against a backdrop of bureaucracy, corruption, and civil wars, White organised annual expeditions that "he micromanaged without apology", while fellow anthropologist Bruce Latimer marvels that he is "without question the best field worker there is [...] His science, logistics, and efficiency are phenomenal" (p. 127). What stands out, and endeared him to this reader, is how he insists on local capacity building, employing and training numerous Ethiopians, and only rarely recruiting foreigners, the Japanese Gen Suwa being one of these notable exceptions.

    As a journalist who has published in the New York Times, GQ, and other outlets, it comes as no surprise that Pattison engagingly portrays the human interest story. He has extensively interviewed the people around White, including Ethiopian collaborators such as Berhane Asfaw, Alemu Ademassu, and Yohannes Haile-Selassie, or the creationist-turned-palaeoanthropologist Owen Lovejoy. But he also speaks to White's many adversaries, including Ian Tattersall, Lucy team members Jon Kalb and the celebrity-loving Don Johanson, as well as members of the world-famous Leakey dynasty (see The Sediments of Time).

    What positively surprised me, however, was how thoroughly and accurately Pattison delves into the biological details. Whether it is related species such as Ardipithecus kadabba, the anatomy of the foot and spine, or the genetical wonderland of ancient DNA, evolutionary developmental biology, or comparative genomics – he puts to good use the more than 500 pages that have been crammed into Fossil Men. White's obsessive attention to detail seems to have rubbed off on Pattison, and in the acknowledgements he admits the enormity of writing this book: "Nobody in their right mind takes on a project like this" (p. 423). The bibliography reveals just how deeply he has ventured: next to books and peer-reviewed papers, Pattison has consulted unpublished manuscripts, interviews, grant proposals, video material, oral histories, court files, and archives of private correspondence.

    Over the years, White's team unearths fragmentary remains and puzzles together the creature that will become known as Ardi. However, much to the frustration of peers and grant agencies, White refuses to go public until he has every detail nailed down. This is not a popular strategy and the briefly-featured Michel Brunet was similarly scolded in Ancient Bones for holding back important material. After an initial 1994 announcement in Nature<, White and collaborators labour for a full 15 years in strict secrecy. Pattison here exclusively reports the many twists, turns, and realisations during this long period.

    The crescendo of Fossil Men comes with the big reveal of Ardi in a 2009 special issue of Science. As expected, the popular press laps it up while the academic establishment is initially more resistant. Pattison again excels at showcasing the range of opinions. Reading the objections it is easy to see how White's arguments go against the grain. Specifically, A. ramidus was initially considered to be the most chimp-like ancestor known so far. However, the more White's team looked at the anatomy of the feet, pelvis, skull, and other body parts, the more they argued that human ancestors never went through a stage resembling modern apes. The long-held paradigm that modern apes are good models of our human ancestors was declared dead. Instead, compared to Ardi, humans are the ones retaining primitive anatomical aspects, while modern African apes are considered evolutionarily more derived. It would require several instances of convergent evolution amongst apes for this to happen, and is thus considered less parsimonious by evolutionary biologists, but that does not mean it is impossible.

    Ardi, it seems, has everyone flummoxed, proving to be "a simian-human combination that nobody had predicted" (p. 353). Refreshingly, some opponents have come around to White's arguments after they have been given the opportunity to inspect the fossils for themselves. Another supporter is David Begun who dedicated a section to A. ramidus in The Real Planet of the Apes, discussing the configuration of the big toe. He agrees with White that "meticulous collection of data should come before interpretation", and highlights how the assumption that hominin ancestors by definition cannot have a grasping big toe imposes restrictions on how to interpret new and contradictory evidence such as Ardi.

    I admit that I was initially mildly concerned that the publisher was overselling Fossil Men by calling it a scientific detective story. However, it did not take long for me to become completely engrossed by Pattison's portrayal of these scientists, and to be in awe of the skill with which he tackles numerous complex biological topics. This is a chunky book, but it is a page-turner that you will not regret.
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Biography

Kermit Pattison is a journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, GQ, Fast Company, Runners World, and Time, among many other publications. He spent more than half a decade doing research for Fossil Men, a large portion of which was spent in the field in Ethiopia with Tim White's team. This is his first book. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

By: Kermit Pattison(Author)
534 pages, b/w photos, b/w illustrations
NHBS
A remarkable and deeply researched debut, Fossil Men provides an unparalleled insider's account of the science and the scientists behind the discovery of a most unusual human ancestor: Ardipithecus ramidus.
Media reviews

"[A] riveting account. [...] In places, Fossil Men seems more reality television show than a work of popular science, as we follow an outrageous cast. [...] The story lines border on the insane: There are civil wars, gunfights, at least one grenade rolling around the feet of scientists as they drive into the desert. [...] Pattison [...] is every bit as good as the best scientist-writers. He describes the intricacies of the human wrist and foot with the skill of a poet [...] [and] explains in clear and compelling prose how scientists build family trees of ancient species."
New York Times Book Review

"Entertaining. [...] Satisfying. [...] Gripping. [...] Big personalities, simmering turmoil, and fascinating popular science."
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"At the core of Kermit Pattison's rip-roaring tale is the prickly, obsessive, brilliant American paleonaut, Tim White, who braves revolutions, tribal warfare, and bitter scientific rivals to unearth ancient bones, without which there would be no pre-history, no civilization, no humanity."
– Peter Nichols, New York Times bestselling author of The Rocks and Evolution's Captain

"Brilliant. [...] A work of staggering depth. [...] Pattison deftly weaves strands of science, sociology and political science into a compelling tale that stretches over decades. [...] His prose is lively and accessible. [...] An ambitious work that fully justifies the extraordinary effort that went into it, both by the fossil men and by the writer who chronicled their work."
Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Fossil Men is a wonderful mix of history, science and politics, full of pathos and insight in equal measure. I found it difficult to put down, and I didn't want it to end [...] This book should be required reading for all those who care about how science may help answer the question of who we are as humans. A monumental achievement!"
– Hasok Chang, Professor of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge

"An exciting book, full of colorful personalities, momentous discoveries, and new ideas that challenge us to reconsider everything we believed about the evolution of humankind."
Booklist

"Compelling science. [...] Perfect for National Geographic readers who want to dig deep into the human evolutionary tree."
Library Journal

"A riveting story of academic, political, and personal intrigue."
Christian Science Monitor (best books of November 2020 roundup)

"A dazzling journey into deep geological time. [...] Pattison combines his meticulously researched examination of the science of ancient humans with a visceral and penetrating tale of [...] intrigue, academic rivalry, pathological jealousy and intellectual inertia. He uses his first-hand experience of being on site in Ethiopia to detail the art, science, joys and challenges of fossil-hunting. [...] Fascinating. [...] Unexpected and revelatory."
The Spectator (London)

"Equal parts biography and adventure novel, Pattison illustrates the colorful characters – flaws and all – whose research has shaped our origin story as we know it today."
Discover magazine

"[A] lively debut. [...] Pattison ably combines the adventure yarn with scientific minutiae. [...] Those interested in human origins should check out this vivid and thorough study."
Publishers Weekly

"Blends science and drama to tell the story of a major paleoanthropology find. [...] For anyone interested in fossil hunting, evolutionary science and a hominid skeleton like no other, this book delivers."
Science News

"Pattison weaves the multiple intrigues of science, politics, and personalities into a masterly structured tale [...] . Leaves readers with a new sense of wonder at the origins of humankind."
Christian Science Monitor

"Fascinating. [...] Exciting."
Twin Cities Pioneer Press

"Any science-minded person [...] will truly enjoy Fossil Men."
Danville Commercial-News

"Perceptive and revealing. [...] Pattison has a commendable and enviable grasp of a wide range of difficult methods and concepts, and he does a fine job of presenting and explaining the many scientific developments that have enriched the way we interpret the hominin fossil record."
Journal of Human Evolution

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