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

In 1994, Tim White’s team unearthed ancient bones in Ethiopia’s Afar region, radiometrically dating them to 4.4 million years old, surpassing “Lucy.” Over the next 15 years, they studied the bones in secrecy, making landmark discoveries while facing disputes with peers and bureaucrats. The discovery of Ardi challenged human evolution theories, including upright walking, hand evolution, and our chimpanzee ancestry.

Acclaimed journalist Kermit Pattison’s “Fossil Men” profiles eccentric scientists like White, Gen Suwa, Owen Lovejoy, Berhane Asfaw, Don Johanson, and the Leakeys, the most famous paleoanthropology family.

(This book may contain a sharpie mark on the top or bottom edge and may show mild signs of shelfwear.)