Scientists, and their research, are often shaped by the prevailing social and political context at the time. Kuljian explores this trend in South Africa and provides fresh insight on the search for human origins - in the fields of palaeoanthropology and genetics - over the past century. The book follows the colonial practice in Europe, the US and South Africa of collecting human skeletons and cataloguing them into racial types, in the hope that they would provide clues to human evolution. Kuljian sheds light on how, during apartheid, the concept of racial classification mirrored the way in which many scientists thought about race and human evolution.

About the Author
Christa Kuljian is a Research Associate at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WiSER) and graduated with an MA in Creative Writing from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2007. Kuljian studied with palaeontologist Stephen Jay Gould for her BA in the History of Science at Harvard (1984), which provided inspiration for Darwin's Hunch.

Reviews
"With its unsparing wealth of personal and historical detail, there's nothing else like Darwin's Hunch available." Ian Tattersall, Curator Emeritus, American Museum of Natural History; "Powerful and revealing. Darwin's Hunch is a fantastic read." Xolela Mangcu, Professor of Sociology, University of Cape Town, and author of Biko: A Biography; "Kuljian's writing is astute and insightful, bringing out new dimensions and details throughout." - Saul Dubow, Queen Mary University of London, author of Scientific Racism in Modern South Africa.



Book Information
ISBN 9781431424252
Author Christa Kuljian
Format Paperback
Page Count 225
Imprint Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd
Publisher Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd
Weight(grams) 500g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 155mm * 15mm