An Overview of Human Evolution

Ever heard of Ardipithecus kadabba, Australopithecus anamensis, Paranthropus aethiopicus, Homo rhodesiensis? Oh my! Do you know how these early "humans" differ from each other? Does the large array of named species help us understand our evolutionary history, or just confuse matters? What IS a hominid species, anyway? Who decides how they are defined? Why do they, as names, live and thrive or wither and die? Join us for a lively discussion of the overall human fossil and archaeological record that demystifies the species naming process and discusses some of its problems. We will contemplate the nomenclature complexity caused, unavoidably, by history of discovery, the nature of the fossil record, and the way evolution happens, contrasting it with the confusion that results from popularization, fame-seeking, and academic rivalry.

 

Presented by Bay Area Skeptics

 

Speaker Dr. Henry Gilbert is Associate Professor of Anthropology at CSU East Bay and Researcher at UC Berkeley's Human Research Center