Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Richard Leakey: Early Man. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 3 page paper discusses Leakey's theory of the evolution of humankind, as well as the differences between Neanderthal man and modern man. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVLeakey.rtf
Buy This Term Paper »
Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
average reader. In his book Origins of Humankind, he explains his theory of evolution and discusses the differences between Neanderthal man and modern man. Leakey writes that until perhaps the
1960s, Darwins idea of evolution was accepted (by scientists, at least, if not by some religious people); that is, it was generally agreed that man had evolved from a lower
life form to a higher one, that is now the dominant species of life on the planet (Leakey, 1994). But also implicit in this theory is the belief that humankind
was, from the very first moment, somehow different from the other animals: although there were varying theories as to what the "prime mover" in human evolution is, all theories have
a common trait, which is the idea that certain "valued human characteristics" as described by Darwin have always been part of humankind, intrinsically linked to it from the beginning (Leakey,
1994, p. 11). Leakey writes "... the first hominid species was still thought to possess some degree of bipedalism, technology and increased brain size. Hominids were therefore cultural creatures
- and thus distinct from the rest of nature - right from the start" (Leakey, 1994, p. 11). Recently however, this theory has begun to lose credibility (Leakey, 1994). Leakey
argues that if the theory is correct and humankind possessed these qualities simultaneously and did not have to develop them as other species do, then archaeologists and anthropologists should have
seen "the simultaneous appearance in the archaeological and fossil records of evidence for bipedality, technology and brain size" (Leakey, 1994, p. 12). No such evidence has ever been found
(Leakey, 1994, p. 12). What has been found, and what Leakey says is much more important than fossil evidence, is "the record of stone tools" (Leakey, 1994, p. 12).
...