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Rating: 
Summary: Required Reading
Review: The debate between multiregional evolution vs. the replacement model continues unabated, and naturally, not without certain biases muddling the understanding of the interested lay-reader. Wolpoff and Caspari do an excellent job of presenting the historical foundations for the intellectual biases AND the over-simplified misunderstandings of multiregional evolution perpetuated by the popular media which are responsible for the ongoing confusion regarding this debate. Human evolution is NOT a simple matter easily reduced to one or two easy-to-manage ideas. The replacement model is well addressed in the text and is shown to be easier to comprehend than the multiregional model, which explains the media's favoratism for the former. The technical information provided favoring both views is carefully presented and explained, and the reader is left with the task of making up his/her own mind. An approach of which I approve. Balancing this text with those of Dr. C. Stringer and Prof. Rushton (another review on this site) is recommended for even treatment. Were I teaching a course in paleoanthroplogy, I would certainly make Wolpoff & Caspari's book required reading.
Rating: 
Summary: A waste of time by now
Review: The evidence from mitochondrial DNA has completely blown this book out of the water. The mtDNA clearly shows us modern homo sapiens emerging in Africa 150,000 years ago and then spreading all over the globe. See Cavalli-Sforza's "The Great Human Diasporas" and Brian Sykes' "The Seven Daughters of Eve."
Science marches on.
Rating: 
Summary: Genetics AND skeletal studies BOTH have their place.
Review: This book accurately portrays the skeletal evidence for human origins, in the context of the Multi-regional theory of human evolution. In this respect it's typical Wolpoff & his usual high standard of excellence, "nuff said. What REALLY needs commentary is the major misconception several reviewer have posted. DNA data has NOT "blown skeletal studies out of the water". We now know that mtDNA AND Y-chromosome lineages ARE HIGHLY subject to natural selection, which means that selective processes CAN (& WILL) cause "lineage replacement" in populations. The multi-regional theory REQUIRES geneflow between regional populations, and even miniscule levels of geneflow will introduce "new" lineages, that can replace the earlier lineages in that population. Selective advantages of as little as hundredths of a percent, and "once in a century" geneflow between adjacent populations, WILL result in total worldwide replacement of lineages within a 100,000-150,000 year period WITHOUT significantly affecting the rest of the genepool. So yes, lineage studies DO "show" that we all share common mtDNA & Y-chromosome ancestors within the last 50-250,000 years (depending on which mutation rate estimate is used), but this actually FITS the predictions of the multi-regional model (for that matter, some mutation rate estimates give calculations that ALLOW descent from regional Homo erectus populations). And.... autosomal DNA studies REVEAL ancient regional population structuring for most genes that goes back as much as a million years, but more recent structuring for other genes, which is ALSO exactly what you'd expect under multi-regionalism's "geneflow & spread of advantageous genes" expectation.... but NOT what would be expected of a human population that recently spread out of Africa. So look at ALL the data INCLUDING BOTH the skeletal (which this book is excellent on) AND the DNA side of things (sadly, I've seen no single comprehensive reference on this aspect) before making up your mind. I suggest you read this book AND search pubmed for scientific papers covering the full spectrum of DNA study interpretations.
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste time - money
Review: This book is a rehash of previous statements and out-dated concepts. As one reviewer has already noted, the molecular data and its interpretation (both mtDNA and RNA) makes this book redundant. Also the discussion of the fossil evidence fails to examine issues of function and developmental processes, which can have a significant impact on morphological form. As such, their implied 'evolutionary trends' within and between hominin groups are just as likley the result of convergence - anatomical analogies (i.e., homoplasies) The dedication says it all: "To Franz Weidenreich. He understood" oh, to be a voice in the wilderness....
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste time - money
Review: This book is a rehash of previous statements and out-dated concepts. As one reviewer has already noted, the molecular data and its interpretation (both mtDNA and RNA) makes this book redundant. Also the discussion of the fossil evidence fails to examine issues of function and developmental processes, which can have a significant impact on morphological form. As such, their implied 'evolutionary trends' within and between hominin groups are just as likley the result of convergence - anatomical analogies (i.e., homoplasies) The dedication says it all: "To Franz Weidenreich. He understood" oh, to be a voice in the wilderness....
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