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Biology and Behaviour in Human Evolution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2008

Phyllis C. Lee
Phyllis C. Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Biological AnthropologyUniversity of CambridgeDowning StreetCambridge CB2 3DZ
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Extract

Of the diverse approaches to understanding patterns and processes in human evolution, a focus on the biology of behaviour using principles derived from the non-human primates may have some utility for archaeologists. This article seeks to outline some biologically-based areas that could prove fruitful in exploring the origins of human behaviour within the archaeological record. It attempts to initiate a dialogue between biologists, even with their limited understanding of the problems facing those working with human origins, and archaeologists, in the hope that this dialogue will move beyond a simple reductionist approach towards the goal of integrating behaviour into a more sophisticated biological perspective.

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Cambridge Archaeological Journal , Volume 1 , Issue 2 , October 1991, pp. 207 - 226
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Copyright © The McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research 1991

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