Ancient Bones

A leading paleontologist discovers the missing link in human evolution.

Somewhere west of Munich, Madelaine Bohme and her colleagues dig for clues to the origins of humankind. What they discover is beyond anything they imagined- the fossilised bones of Danuvius guggenmosi ignite a global media frenzy. This ancient ancestor defies our knowledge of human history - his nearly twelve-million-year-old bones were not located in Africa - the so-called birthplace of humanity - but in Europe, and his features suggest we evolved much differently than scientists once believed.

In prose that reads like a gripping detective novel, Ancient Bones interweaves the story of the dig that changed everything with the fascinating answer to a previously undecided and now pressing question- How, exactly, did we become human? Placing B hme's discovery alongside former theories of human evolution, the authors show how this remarkable find (and others in Eurasia) are forcing us to rethink the story we've been told about how we came to be, a story that has been our guiding narrative - until now.

About the Authors

Madelaine Bohme, geo-scientist and paleontologist, is professor of terrestrial palaeoclimatology at the University of Tobingen and founding director of the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeo-environment. She is one of the most esteemed paleoclimatologists and palaeoenvironmental scientists examining human evolution with regard to changes in climate and environment. Bohme lives in T bingen, Germany.

Rudiger Braun is a science journalist interested in translating cutting-edge science into gripping stories for the general public to affect societal change. He studied biology and philosophy at the Julius Maximilian University in Worzburg. He contributes to Stern and Geo. Braun lives in Ahrensburg, Germany.

Florian Breier is a science journalist and works as a filmmaker and author for ZDF television, arte, SWR broadcasting, and others. Breier lives in Cologne, Germany.