Evolution

Check out this very interesting article on human origins. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-sci-skull9aug09,1,7105899.story?coll=la-headlines-world&track=crosspromo

I am fascinated. It blows my mind how we can estimate the age of something so old...a 1.5 million year old skull?? How can we possibly measure this kind of time? What was life like on Earth that long ago? How different was the land, the air, the sky? How did people interact with each other - were they self-centered or community-oriented? Did they have any concept of issues like "gender roles," "mental illness," "politics," or "spirituality?" What was language like?

I'm interested in bones, too. It's so amazing to me that scientists can tell so many things just from bones or fragments of bones. I think the area of forensic anthropology is riveting. [Sigh.] There's just not enough time in my day to study all the things I want to. Is anyone in the market to hire a professional student? I would apply for that job.

Meanwhile, if anyone out there has read any good books on these subjects, please let me know.