The first event in our exciting new Lecture Series, on the theme of “Human Evolution”, was held on Tuesday 16th March. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the event was in virtual format via Zoom. Titled “Is human evolution more complicated than we first thought?”, the event was hosted by colleagues from the Campus-TV Studio at University of Tübingen. They took care of all technical aspects of the event and, in conjunction with the Secretariat, created promotional materials such as a poster and short video. The event featured the following 15-minute presentations by speakers from Tübingen, Uppsala, Dartmouth and Durham:
- Professor Madelaine Böhme (Tübingen)
“Danuvius guggenmosi and the positional behaviour of the last common ancestor of great apes and humans”
- Professor Per Ahlberg (Uppsala)
“The Trachilos footprints: what are they and what do they tell us about early hominins?”
- Professor Jeremy DeSilva (Dartmouth)
“All Walks of Life. Bipedal diversity in Australopithecus.”
- Professor Sarah Elton (Durham)
“Did it happen by chance? Neutral models in primate evolution.”
A short welcome address was delivered by Professor Monique Scheer; Tübingen’s Vice-President for International Affairs and Diversity. Following the four presentations, speakers participated in a 50-minute Q&A / discussion panel event, featuring questions from the international audience. The recording has also been posted on the Matariki YouTube channel.