What if the established narrative of mammalian and human evolution is incomplete? In this groundbreaking monograph, Leonidas Brikiatis presents a unified biogeographical framework that re-examines the evolution of boreoeutherian mammals, primates, and the human lineage. Drawing on accumulated scientific evidence, the book reconstructs the palaeogeographical and vicariant processes that shaped the major evolutionary lineages of the Northern Hemisphere. Moving beyond generalized evolutionary narratives, this work applies classical biogeographic mechanisms to explain the origin, speciation, and distribution of primates and hominins. Through detailed analysis, the author links major evolutionary events — including the remarkable diversity of Miocene hominoids — to repeated episodes of geographical fragmentation and reconnection across Central Eurasia. At the heart of the book lies the Aegeanman Hypothesis: a new evolutionary model proposing that the human lineage followed a trajectory centered in the Eastern Mediterranean, distinct from African ape evolution. This perspective provides independent support for waterside models of human evolution while offering a coherent explanation for later hominin dispersal into Africa. Written in clear and accessible language while grounded in rigorous scholarship, this book invites readers to explore evolutionary history through a fresh scientific lens. Ideal for: Researchers and students in anthropology, evolutionary biology, and palaeontology Readers interested in human origins and primate evolution Scientific nonfiction enthusiasts seeking new evolutionary perspectives A thought-provoking contribution to the study of mammalian and human evolution, combining evidence-based reasoning with an innovative biogeographic vision.
Leonidas Brikiatis (Wed,) studied this question.