Baobab

Beschreibung

Modern humans, descendants of a founding population that separated from chimpanzees some five to eight million years ago, are today the only living representative of a branching group of African apes called hominins. Because of its extraordinary size and shape, the baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) has long been identified as the most striking tree of Africa’s mosaic savanna, the landscape generally regarded as the environment of hominin evolution. This book makes the case for identifying the baobab as the tree of life in the hunter-gatherer adaptation that was the economic foundation of hominin evolution. The argument is based on the significance of the baobab as a resource-rich environment for the Hadza of northeastern Tanzania, who continue to be successful hunter-gatherers of the African savanna.
Modern humans, descendants of a founding population that separated from chimpanzees some five to eight million years ago, are today the only living representative of a branching group of African apes called hominins. Because of its extraordinary size and shape, the baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) has long been identified as the most striking tree of Africa’s mosaic savanna, the landscape generally regarded as the environment of hominin evolution. This book makes the case for identifying the baobab as the tree of life in the hunter-gatherer adaptation that was the economic foundation of hominin evolution. The argument is based on the significance of the baobab as a resource-rich environment for the Hadza of northeastern Tanzania, who continue to be successful hunter-gatherers of the African savanna.
Provides documentation for Baobab's global cultural significance Elucidates the popular interest in Baobab identified as the "tree of life" Fully describes Baobab for its food potential suitable for dry environments

Autor*in

John Rashford

Themen in »Baobab«

Baobab ecology Hazda culture Baobab religion Tree of Life Ancestry Bipedalism Honey tree Baobab avifauna Indigenous and academic knowledge systems

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“In 25 well organized chapters, the author brings his nearly four decades of research on the topic … . The Hadza and Africa’s iconic baobab have co-inhabited the savanna for thousands of years. In rich detail, John Rashford’s Baobab makes a compelling case for the Hadza-baobab relationship to be highly representative of the dawn of human evolutionary history.  ... I encourage readers to order this finely researched volume for their local library.” (Robert Voeks, Economic Botany, Vol. 78 (1), 2024)

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