21.05.09 - 13:04 -
The Finlaysons gave a lecture on human evolution.
Professor Clive Finlayson and Dr Geraldine Finlayson of the Gibraltar Museum have recently returned from Granada where they were invited by the University to deliver a lecture as part of the 8th Year of “Biodiversity and Conservation” Lectures. The University has developed a reputation for inviting leading speakers in their field and it was an honour for the Gibraltar Museum to be included in this prestigious lecture series. The lecture was given to a full auditorium of students, professors and general public in the spectacular venue of the Science Park, the leading institution of its kind in Andalucía.
The Finlaysons gave a lecture on human evolution entitled “The Luck of Man: the role of historical contingency in human evolution”. The one-hour lecture generated great interest and was followed by an hour of questions and discussion. In it they traced the evolution of our lineage from a remote past 65 million years ago, when the dinosaurs became extinct, through the very origins of primates and then apes. From there the story unfolded into the origins and evolution of the various populations of Homo erectus onto the recent history of our species. Many of the topics covered are featured in Professor Finlayson’s forthcoming book “The Humans who went Extinct: Why Neanderthals died out and we survived”, published by Oxford University Press, and which will be released in the autumn. Professor Juan Manuel Pleguezuelos of the University of Granada chaired the lecture.
Lecture on Gibraltar
Meanwhile, in Gibraltar the successful museum lecture series celebrating Darwin’s anniversaries has been supplemented by a final talk that was not in the original programme. Professor Finlayson will give a closing lecture on Thursday 28th May at 2030 hours at the John Mackintosh Hall. The lecture is entitled “The Struggle for Existence: Evolution in Action”. The lecture will be a synthesis of Professor Finlayson’s thoughts about evolution based on thirty years of research, working with such diverse groups as birds, reptiles and mammals. All are welcome to attend.
Meanwhile, in Gibraltar the successful museum lecture series celebrating Darwin’s anniversaries has been supplemented by a final talk that was not in the original programme. Professor Finlayson will give a closing lecture on Thursday 28th May at 2030 hours at the John Mackintosh Hall. The lecture is entitled “The Struggle for Existence: Evolution in Action”. The lecture will be a synthesis of Professor Finlayson’s thoughts about evolution based on thirty years of research, working with such diverse groups as birds, reptiles and mammals. All are welcome to attend.
