STONY BROOK, N.Y., September 18, 2006 -- The origins of the human lineage in Africa will be examined by the world's leading scholars at the 3rd Annual Human Evolution Symposium to be held at Stony Brook University on Tuesday, October 3. The symposium is being convened by Richard Leakey, Visiting Professor of Anthropology at Stony Brook and the world's foremost paleontologist and conservationist.
"This symposium will focus on critical issues relating to human evolution, and the discussion will take place among the leading scientists in the field," Dr. Leakey said. "We hope to resolve some of the outstanding issues of debate, and to identify productive new avenues for future research."
The symposium takes place in the Charles B. Wang center Theatre from 9:30 AM-5:00 PM.
Human-like fossils and archaeological artifacts can be traced back as far as some 2.5 million years ago in East and South Africa. These fossils and the archaeological traces are usually attributed to the earliest members of the human genus, Homo. However, there is good reason to suspect that these remains lack critical features that would describe them as being truly human. If such suspicions are correct, as many scientists believe, then the earliest evidence for humans is found only substantially later -- at about 1.8 million years ago.
The goal of this third Stony Brook Human Evolution Workshop is to bring together a group of international scientists from many disciplines to try and obtain a clearer appreciation and understanding of the major forces and events that shaped the root of the human lineage. New discoveries and data continue to be made and assembled in our quest to better appreciate our evolutionary history, and while these new discoveries are exciting, the understanding of the evolutionary root of the genus Homo remains characterized by more questions that solid answers.
Among the important questions the gathering hopes to answer are, "When did humans make their first appearance on Earth, and what sorts of environmental factors may have been responsible for the emergence of humankind?". Speakers will cover the human fossil record, the archaeological record, and the palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental records from the standpoint of the geological, vertebrate palaeontological, and isotopic data.
Stony Brook has taken a leadership role in the examination of issues related to human evolution and sustainability. Dr. Leakey has convened a series of conferences to explore such issues, including last year's World Environmental Forum, which examined the potential global impact of climate change.
In addition to Dr. Leakey, the notable scientists who will appear include Leslie Aiello, President of the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research; Robert Blumenschine, Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center of Evolutionary Studies at Rutgers University; Christopher Dean, Professor of Anatomy at University College London; Craig Feibel, Associate Professor of Geological Sciences at Rutgers University; John Fleagle, Distinguished Professor of Anatomical Sciences at Stony Brook; Frederick Grine, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Stony Brook; William Jungers, Professor of Anatomical Sciences at Stony Brook; Meave Leakey, Research Professor at Stony Brook University, John Shea, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Stony Brook, Philip Tobias, Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Human Biology at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg; and Randall Susman, Professor of Anatomical Sciences at Stony Brook.
For further information on the symposium or to register, and for a schedule of presentations, please visit www.stonybrook.edu/sb/humanevolution.
