As I sit here, in early 2003, I have before me several pages of manuscript bearing majesticallyencing and tactful notes from Ian Tattersal of the Ameri Museum of Natural Historypointing out, inter alia, that Perigueux is not a wineprodug region, that it is iive but atouorthodox of me to italicize taxonomic divisions above the level of genus and species,that I have persistently misspelled esaille, a place that I retly visited, and so on insimilar vein through two chapters of text c his area of expertise, early humans.
Goodness knows how many other inky embarrassments may lurk in these pages yet, but itis thanks to Dr. Tattersall and all of those whom I am about to mention that there arent manyhundreds more. I ot begin to thank adequately those who helped me in the preparation ofthis book. I am especially ied to the following, who were uniformly generous and kindlyand showed the most heroic reserves of patien answering one simple, endlessly repeatedquestion: "Im sorry, but you explain that again?"In the Uates: Ian Tattersall of the Ameri Museum of Natural History in NewYork; John Thorstensen, Mary K. Hudson, and David Blanchflower of Dartmouth College inHanover, Neshire; Dr. William Abdu and Dr. Bryan Marsh of Dartmouth-Hitedical ter in Lebanon, Neshire; Ray Anderson and Brian Witzke of the Ioartment of Natural Resources, Iowa city; Mike Voorhies of the Uy of Nebraskaand Ashfall Fossil Beds State Park near Orchard, Nebraska; Chuck Offenburger of BuenaVista Uy, Storm Lake, Iowa; Ken Rancourt, director of research, Mount Washingtoorham, Neshire; Paul Doss, geologist of Yellowstoional Park,and his wife, Heidi, also of the National Park; Frank Asara of the Uy of California atBerkeley; Oliver Payne and Lynn Addison of the National Geographic Society; James O.
Farlow, IndianaPurdue Uy; Roger L. Larson, professor of marine geophysiiversity of Rhode Island; Jeff Guinn of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram neer; Jerry Kasten of Dallas, Texas; and the staff of the Iowa Historical Society in DesMoines.
In England: David Caplin of Imperial College, London; Richard Fortey, Les Ellis, and KathyWay of the Natural History Museum; Martin Raff of Uy College, London; RosalindHarding of the Institute of Biological Anthropology in Oxford; Dr. Laurence Smaje, formerlyof the Welle Institute; ah Blackmore of The Times.
In Australia: the Reverend Robert Evans of Hazelbrook, New South Wales; Alan Thorneand Victoria Be of the Australian National Uy in berra; Louise Burke andJohn Hawley of berra; Anne Milne of the Sydney M Herald; Ian Nowak, formerlyof the Geological Society of Western Australia; Thomas H. Riuseum Victoria; TimFlannery, director of the South Australian Museum in Adelaide; and the very helpful staff ofthe State Library of New South Wales in Sydney.
And elsewhere: Sue Superville, informatioer ma the Museum of New Zealandin Wellington, and Dr. Emma Mbua, Dr. Koen Maes, and Jillani Ngalla of the Kenya NationalMuseum in Nairobi.
I am also deeply and variously ied to Patrick Janson-Smith, Gerald Howard, MarianneVelmans, Alison Tulett, Larry Finlay, Steve Rubin, Jed Mattes, Carol Heaton, Charles Elliott,David Bryson, Felicity Bryson, Dan M, Nick Southern, Patrick Gallagher, LarryAshmead, and the staff of the peerless and ever-cheery Howe Library in Hanover, Neshire.
Above all, and as always, my profouhanks to my dear wife, thia.