 | |
| Author | Robert Ardrey |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Berdine Ardrey (née Grunewald) |
| Language | English |
| Series | Nature of Man Series |
Publication date | 1961 |
| Pages | 380 |
| ISBN | 0002110148 |
| Followed by | The Territorial Imperative |
African Genesis: A Personal Investigation into the Animal Origins and Nature of Man, usually referred to as African Genesis, is a 1961 nonfiction work by the American writer Robert Ardrey. It posited the hypothesis that man evolved on the African continent from carnivorous, predatory ancestors who distinguished themselves from apes by the use of weapons.[1][2] The work bears on questions of human origins, human nature, and human uniqueness. Although some of his ideas were refuted by later science,[3][4] it was widely read and continues to inspire significant controversy.[5]
African Genesis is the first in Robert Ardrey's Nature of Man Series. It is followed by The Territorial Imperative (1966), The Social Contract (1970), and The Hunting Hypothesis (1976). It was illustrated by Ardrey's wife, the South African actress and illustrator Berdine Ardrey (née Grunewald).
- ^ Ardrey, Robert. African Genesis: A Personal Investigation into the Animal Origins and Nature of Man. New York: Atheneum. 1961. Print.
- ^ Kindle Edition Description via Amazon Website
- ^ Rensberger, Boyce (April 8, 1984). "What Made Humans Human?". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
- ^ Pickering, TR (2012). "24: African Genesis revisited: reflections on Raymond Dart and the 'predatory transition from ape(-man) to man.'". African Genesis: Perspectives on Hominin Evolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 487–505. ISBN 9781139096164.
- ^ Brain, C.K. 1983. "Robert Ardrey and the 'Killer-Apes'" in Brain, C.K. 1983 The Hunters of the Hunted: An Introduction to African Cave Taphonomy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press