THE UPRIGHT APE

A neurosurgeon and evolutionary scholar presents a bold new theory on the early origins of the hominiform (human-like) primates.

For some time, a critical part of humankind’s self-image as a species has been our sense of superiority to the rest of the animal kingdom, including our close genetic cousins. After all, even though we share a common ancestor, humans learned to walk upright on two feet, while gorillas and chimps still largely get around on all-fours. But what if that common ancestor actually walked upright, and gorillas and chimps have since evolved into largely quadrupedal creatures? Here, the author presents compelling evidence that this may be the case. A noted neurosurgeon and spine expert, Filler has studied under some of the most famous names in the world of evolutionary science, such as Stephen Jay Gould and Ernst Mayr. After being confronted with a fossil that bore unmistakable, unique human features, features that shouldn’t have been there until millions of years later, he realized that it would take more then the standard Darwinian theories of evolution to explain the anomaly. Building on the work of visionary thinkers such as Goethe, Étienne Geoffroy St. Hilaire, Gould and others, and drawing largely on his extensive knowledge of the spine, Filler builds a strong case to refute what he sees as some of the fundamentally incorrect assumptions that evolutionary scientists hold dear. He also provides an excellent general outline of some of the history and historic trends in evolutionary thought while laying out detailed evidence to support his theory. His writing often tends to be highly technical, which can leave the average reader lost. Still, his ideas come across clearly, and he puts forth a compelling argument.

Thought-provoking and bold.