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I read a terrific book a few years back and would like to re-read it, but I cannot remember the title nor author.

In the story, the evolution of humans is the premise. The first ape/human's intellectual development leading from the stone age, bronze age, etc. and humans' evolution is the major premise.

The beginning of ancient cultures and their industry was fascinating. It was long, but because several family groups (characters and their progeny) are followed through the pages, it was riveting. The title may have had the words "evolution", "family", or "human", but I cannot be sure. It reminded me of a young adult read, "Eva" by Peter Dickinson. Any ideas? Thanks!

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    Looks like a phun book to read, but could you add at least approximate date of publication, maybe images from the cover, language you read it in (or original language), page count, where you read it?..
    – Gallifreyan
    Aug 20, 2016 at 14:32
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    Was the book actually science fiction or fantasy?
    – Paul D. Waite
    Aug 20, 2016 at 14:33
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    @PaulD.Waite Prehistoric fiction is a recognized subcategory of science fiction (or fantasy). Fiction set in the future or the prehistoric past is ipso facto SF.
    – user14111
    Aug 20, 2016 at 15:09
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    @user14111: whereas Star Trek: Voyager is ex post facto SF.
    – Paul D. Waite
    Aug 20, 2016 at 17:20
  • Not an answer, as the title absolutely doesn't match, but if you liked Evolution you could try Sarum. Not that much fantasy, anyway.
    – motoDrizzt
    Aug 20, 2016 at 21:03

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I'm going to guess at Evolution (2004) by Stephen Baxter.

Per Amazon

Stretching from the distant past into the remote future, from primordial Earth to the stars, Evolution is a soaring symphony of struggle, extinction, and survival; a dazzling epic that combines a dozen scientific disciplines and a cast of unforgettable characters to convey the grand drama of evolution in all its awesome majesty and rigorous beauty. Sixty-five million years ago, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, there lived a small mammal, a proto-primate of the species Purgatorius.

From this humble beginning, Baxter traces the human lineage forward through time. The adventure that unfolds is a gripping odyssey governed by chance and competition, a perilous journey to an uncertain destination along a route beset by sudden and catastrophic upheavals. It is a route that ends, for most species, in stagnation or extinction. Why should humanity escape this fate?

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