ABSTRACT
Paleoanthropologists devote their lives to the search and the understanding of human origins. They do so because they are fascinated about this subject, no doubt, but also because they believe they can contribute to the resolution of a number of uncertainties pertaining to the biological and cultural evolution of humankind. After all, who would invest that much time and effort in a quest judged insoluble? Yet, the past few decades have been difficult ones for optimistic paleoanthropologists who contend that a resolution—quick or slow—of major questions relevant to human evolution is reachable. Apparently, the difficulties arise both from inside and outside the field of paleoanthropology.
