The World Before Us: How Science is Revealing a New Story of Our Human Origins

50000 years ago we were not the only species of human in the world.There were at least four others including the Neanderthals who occupied Europe the Near East and parts of Eurasia; the enigmatic Homo floresiensis or Hobbits from the island of Flores; and Homo luzonesis found in the Philippines and even more diminutive than the Hobbits at less than four feet high. And then there are the Denisovans discovered thanks to cutting-edge science in 2010 in a cave in Siberia. At the forefront of this ground-breaking discovery was Oxford Professor Tom Higham. In The World Before Us he follows the scientific and technological advancements - in radiocarbon dating and ancient DNA for example - that allowed each of these discoveries to be made and enabled us to be more accurate in our predictions about not just how long ago these other humans lived but how they lived.The implications of these - and future - discoveries for us today are profound. We know which human groups today share which ancestors genes and the impact this has; for example genes from Denisovans explain why some people cope better with living at high altitude and Type 2 Diabetes may have been an evolutionary advantage for Neanderthals who in times of nutritional stress may have needed to retain more blood sugar than their 21st century Homo sapiens-descendants.This is the story of us told for the first time with its full cast of characters. Review The application of new genetic science to pre-history is analogous to how the telescope transformed astronomy. Tom Higham one of the worlds leading scientists in the field brings us to the frontier of recent discoveries with a book that is both gripping and fun. And the results are astonishing. It matters: understanding our evolutionary origins reveals our innate strengths as a species -- Paul Collier author of The Bottom BillionA brilliant exposition of the way in which archaeology and science are completely changing our understanding of early humans. This is a fast-moving story written with verve and enthusiasm by one of the scientists deeply involved in tracking down the evidence. Essential reading for all interested in our early ancestors and the sheer excitement of their discovery -- Barry Cunliffe author of The ScythiansA brilliant distillation of the ideas and discoveries revolutionising our understanding of human evolution. Tom Higham one of the leaders of the revolution and the cutting-edge science on which it is based introduces us to a complex world of many human species whose genes and deeds live on in us today -- Chris Gosden author of The History of MagicFrom lab bench to trenchThe World Before Us offers a personal tour of the newest science in palaeoanthropology. Highams three decades working on some of the most important and remarkable fossils ever found imbues his account with fascinating detail -- Rebecca Wragg Sykes author of KindredTom Higham has been at the pulsating centre of the close collaboration between archaeologists and geneticists that in the last few years discovered our previously unknown cousins - the Denisovans - and revealed the lost world in which they Neanderthals and modern humans interacted and interbed. His thrilling book gives us a court-side view of this scientific revolution -- David Reich author of Who We Are and How We Got Here About the Author Tom Higham is Professor of Archaeological Science at the University of Oxford and Director of the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit. He has worked on the remains of Richard III The Elephant Man and Egyptian pharaohs. Since 2010 he has been at the forefront of research on a new species of human the Denisovans. This is his first trade book.