Main description:

Cognitive Evolution provides an in-depth exploration of the natural history of cognition, from the beginning of life on Earth to present-day humans. Drawing together evolutionary, comparative, and neuroscience research, the book brings a unique cognitive perspective to evolutionary psychology.

The second edition features the latest research and illustrations on emerging topics, making it a true update of the field. After introducing evolution, Boles adopts an information processing perspective - from inputs to outputs, with all the mental processes in between to provide a systematic overview of the evolution of cognition, including its sensory, motoric, perceptual, and cognitive components. The combination of evolutionary, comparative, and neuroscience perspectives provides an insight on topics like vision, handedness, tools and planning, spatial perception, pattern recognition, memory, language, and consciousness.

Cognitive Evolution is a comprehensive, essential read for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of cognitive and evolutionary psychology. Researchers will find it a useful and insightful synthesis of the field, yet even the curious public will find in it much that is surprising and enlightening.

Contents:

Introduction

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: Life begins

Chapter 2: Life gets complicated

Chapter 3: Vertebrates to early mammals

Chapter 4: Later mammals through primates

Chapter 5: Humans

Chapter 6: The Mechanical and Chemical Senses

Chapter 7: Vision

Chapter 8: The Origins of Motion

Chapter 9: Bipedalism

Chapter 10: Praxis and Handedness

Chapter 11: Tools and Planning

Chapter 12: Spatial Perception

Chapter 13: Pattern Recognition

Chapter 14: Memory

Chapter 15: Language

Chapter 16: Consciousness

Chapter 17: A Summary in Nine Firsts

Glossary

References

Additional Picture Credits