A Picture Book for Paleontologists: How Faulted Images and Methods Have Subverted the Study of Human Ancestors

Figurative images in paleontological books, text books, and museum dioramas have the same set of faulted ideas that all beginning art students render. These faulted images have subverted both their concepts and analysis. A Picture Book for Paleontologists introduces a new method to accurately compare skulls from different species. It is based on the observation that land vertebrates universally hold their faces in the same position while moving forward or sitting alertly. A skull placed in this position will show whether a human ancestor was bipedal or quadrupedal and will also reveal the visual environment it occupied. Unique to primates are the shared dental biomechanics, which determine the need for eyebrow ridges or chins.