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Article: Paperbacks.(Book Review)
- Article from:
- Daily Mail (London)
- Article date:
- May 13, 2005
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Solo Syndication Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: CARLA MCKAY
The Human Story
by Robin Dunbar
(Faber, [pounds sterling]7.99)
THE evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar has spent a great deal of time analysing the social systems of both human and non-human primates (notably chimpanzees, with whom we share a staggering 98.5 per cent DNA).
In this riveting, compact history of our parallel and converging development, he makes the case that we, as humans, are special in all sorts of ways, including the way our minds embrace culture and language - but we're not as special as we like to think.
Like all other species, we are 'an evolutionary Heath-Robinson of a ...