The Fruit, the Tree, and the Serpent: Why We See So WellFrom the temptation of Eve to the venomous murder of the mighty Thor, the serpent appears throughout time and cultures as a figure of mischief and misery. The worldwide prominence of snakes in religion, myth, and folklore underscores our deep connection to the serpent—but why, when so few of us have firsthand experience? The surprising answer, this book suggests, lies in the singular impact of snakes on primate evolution. Predation pressure from snakes, Lynne Isbell tells us, is ultimately responsible for the superior vision and large brains of primates—and for a critical aspect of human evolution. |
Contents
1 Introduction | 1 |
2 Primate Biogeography | 9 |
3 Why Did Primates Evolve? | 36 |
4 Primate Vision | 44 |
5 Origins of Modern Predators | 68 |
6 Vision and Fear | 77 |
7 Venomous Snakes and Anthropoid Primates | 94 |
8 Why Only Primates? | 112 |