In 1962 at the Burg Wartenstein Symposium on "Classification and Human
Evolution," Emile Zuckerkandl used the term "molecular anthropology" to
characterize the study of primate phylogeny and human evolution through
the genetic information contained in proteins and polynucleotides. Since
that time, our knowledge of molecular evolution in primates and other
organisms has grown considerably. The present volume examines this
knowledge especially as it relates to the phyletic position of Homo
sapiens in the order Primates and to the trends which shaped the
direction of human evolution. Participants from the disciplines of
protein and nucleotide chemistry, genetics, statistics, paleon- tology,
and physical anthropology held cross-disciplinary discussions and argued
some of the major issues of molecular anthropology and the data upon
which these arguments rest. Chief among these were the molecular clock
controversy in hominoid evolution; the molecular evidence on
phylogenetic relationships among primates; the evolution of gene
expression regulation in primates; the relationship of fossil and
molecular data in the Anthropoidea and other pri- mates; the
interpretation of the adaptive significance of evolutionary changes;
and, finally, the impact on mankind of studies in molecular
anthropology. Most of the papers in this volume were presented in a
preliminary form at Symposium No. 65 on "Progress in Molecular
Anthropology" held at Burg Wartenstein, Austria, from July 25 to August
1, 1975. These papers were subsequently revised and some additional
papers related to the theme of the symposium were also contributed to
this volume.
