This book chronicles the major turning points in human evolution, from the emergence of primates to Homo sapiens. The facts accumulated in recent years in anthropology, molecular biology, archeology and a number of other sciences force us to reconsider many traditional ideas about the course of this process. Its key events in the light of new data are seen differently than they were ten or even five years ago, and where are the old questions? When? How? and why? require new answers. The book is based mainly on materials that have not yet received adequate coverage in domestic popular science literature. Thanks to the lively and fascinating presentation, the book will be of interest not only to biologists, anthropologists and archaeologists, but also to the widest reader circles, especially young students.