The skull in the rock How a scientist, a boy, and Google Earth opened a new window on human origins

Review by Booklist Review

In August 2008, in an area near Johannesburg, South Africa, called the Cradle of Humankind, nine-year-old Matthew Berger summoned his father, paleoanthropologist Lee Berger, with the words Dad, I've found a fossil. Thus begins the fascinating tale of the discovery of a nearly complete skeleton of an entirely new species of early man. Aronson narrates the story of the gregarious Indiana Jones-like Berger, who grew up in rural Georgia with a penchant for exploring nature and went on to build a career around that passion. Part inspirational biography and part evolutionary science primer, this is written as if the participants are on an exciting treasure hunt, with the acknowledgment that the story continues to evolve and all findings should be shared. Aronson is a master at making almost any topic interesting, understandable, and entertaining, and here he tackles one with intrinsic mass appeal. The vividly designed and wonderfully photographed book includes helpful back matter featuring a unique model of human evolution and a well-organized combined glossary and index.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 5-8-In this slim, readable volume, Berger and Aronson braid a history of past researches and discoveries into an exposition of the long saga of human evolution. Berger's decision to use Google Earth to search long-explored ground for previously unrecognized fossil sites is a brilliant revelation, as is his use of other cutting-edge methods. Fine color photos record his methods and results, with perhaps the most poignant picture being that of the tiny fossil bones of Australopithecus sediba's hand nestled in the seemingly giant paw of a modern Homo sapiens. This enthusiastic narrative opens with Berger's son Matthew's now-famous words, "Dad, I've found a fossil," spoken when he was nine years old. It ends with assurances that readers will be able to follow further field discoveries and lab research by logging on to a special website to participate in forensic anthropology in real time. For earnest fans, some stellar books will reinforce their interest. For some, Catherine Thimmesh's Lucy Long Ago: Uncovering the Mystery of Where We Come From (Houghton, 2009) and/or Katherine Kirkpatrick's Mysterious Bones: The Story of Kennewick Man (Holiday House, 2011) will fill the bill. Older readers wanting a deeper look into the evolution of research should consult Sally M. Walker's Their Skeletons Speak (Carolrhoda, 2012) or Jill Rubacalba's Every Bone Tells a Story (Charlesbridge, 2010). All in all, this slender work, with the gold-toned skull of Australopithecus sediba staring blindly out of the gray rock matrix, is a fine pairing of an impassioned personality and scientific achievement.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Horn Book Review

Paleontologist Berger, working in the fossil-rich hills near Johannesburg, South Africa (often accompanied by his young son, Matthew), has made some key contributions to the field. His and Matthews most recent find, referred to in the title, gave scientists a nearly intact skeleton from a new species, Australopithecus sediba. Detailed accounts of advances in the field and the technology used to support paleontology research, including satellite imagery that gave new perspective to old sites, are intertwined with the story of Bergers not-always-straightforward path to a scientific career. Additional information about the period in natural history to which Australopithecus sediba belonged, the fossil-dating key to establishing the relative ages of the fossils, and the uncertainties Berger still has about this very recent find show readers science almost as it is happening, bringing us ever closer to the missing links in the braided stream of hominin evolution. The story is greatly enhanced by illustrative material, which includes photographs of Berger; the research site from which the fossils were extracted; the fossils themselves, both in situ in the rocks and later reconstructed in skeletal form; and striking facial reconstructions of these ancient ancestors. Suggestions for further reading, a glossary, and an index are appended. (Its a good month for paleoanthropology; see also books by Deem and by Walker and Owsley in this section.) danielle j. ford (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

When 9-year-old Matthew Berger found a fossil, he "opened a door two million years back in time." "Dad, I've found a fossil." His father, noted paleoanthropologist Lee Berger, figured it was just the remains of ancient antelopes. But when he got closer, he knew this "was a gift from the past so precious almost nothing like it had ever been found," part of a nearly complete skeleton of a new species, Australopithecus sediba, that has led to a new way of viewing human evolution. Aronson weaves the story of sediba's discovery around a brief biography of Lee Berger, plaiting in enough background about paleoanthropology to provide context. He writes the story with vigor, but he's not just writing about science, he's urging young readers to learn from Dr. Berger: "to train your eyes, to walk the land, to learn to see the anomaly--to make the next key discovery." Aronson emphasizes that the science is ever evolving and that more than the specific discovery, it's the vision and the debate that are so important and fascinating. Matthew's discovery was important in itself, but it also opened the door for new discoveries, and it's the spirit of scientific inquiry that Aronson imparts here. A fascinating account of an Indiana Jonesstyle fossil hunter and how his discoveries have changed the way we see human evolution. ("A New View of Evolution," further reading, glossary/index, author's note) (Nonfiction. 10 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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"Dad, I've found a fossil." Nine-year-old Matthew Berger was fossil hunting with his dad when he stumbled and spied a brown rock with a thin yellow bone stuck in it. Matthew was lucky: His father is Professor Lee Berger, a scientist who has devoted his life to finding the remains of our ancient ancestors. They had often gone exploring together in the brown limestone hills and scraggly trees just outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. So many important fossils have been found in this area that it is called the Cradle of Humankind and is protected by the government and listed as a World Heritage Site. Though only half an hour from one of the largest cities in Africa, the Cradle belongs to animals--visitors are watched by troops of baboons, dodged by scampering warthogs, measured by soaring eagles. The Bergers always bring their Rhodesian ridgebacks with them in their customized Jeep--since leopards and other predators prowl nearby, and the dogs smell and sense them in time to give warning. On this pleasant August morning in 2008, Matthew called out to his dad--and opened a door two million years back in time. Some day, Matthew's words may be famous, the way we honor "What hath God wrought?" the first telegraph message sent in 1844, or "Mr. Watson, come here" the first telephone call 32 years later. What he found was that important. But that is not what his dad first thought. Every other time they had gone out together, Matthew found the remains of ancient antelopes--fossils that are quite common in the area. As Dr. Berger came closer, Matthew could tell that his dad assumed it was just another old antelope and was trying to be nice by pretending to be interested. That is exactly what Dr. Berger was thinking until he was about fifteen feet (4.6 m) from his son, and could focus. Right then, just at that precise moment, he froze. His world went black and white. Time stopped. Matthew was holding a gift from the past so precious almost nothing like it had ever been found. And the one person in the world who knew that for sure was Dr. Lee Berger. For the fossil was a clavicle, the thin connecting bone across the shoulder that humans and our ancestors share--and that athletes in contact sports sometimes break. The bone is so fragile, not one of the famous skeletons of prehumans still has a complete one. Yet when he was a graduate student, Dr. Berger had written his Ph.D. thesis on just that bone and three others that would become important in this story, the bones that make up the upper arm. Because Matthew had trained his eyes, he recognized a fossil. Because his father had studied that part of the body, he realized the treasure in his son's hands. For Dr. Berger, it would have been enough to find that one special bone. But the clavicle was just the beginning. It was the rabbit hole beckoning Alice, the wardrobe flung open to Narnia, the first clue to what is becoming an entirely new way of understanding human evolution. Excerpted from The Skull in the Rock: How a Scientist, a Boy, and Google Earth Opened a New Window on Human Origins by Marc Aronson, Lee Berger All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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