When and How Did Humans First Leave Africa?

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Aug. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The discussion, or debate, as to when and how modern humans left Africa to populate the world continues at the Santa Barbara Symposium on Human Origins on Friday and Saturday, September 12 and 13, 2014. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has assembled 18 scientists from across the globe to discuss and present to the audience compelling topics and questions about the origin and evolution of the human species, colonization of the globe, and emergence of the diverse societies and cultures we know today.

The symposium's events will be divided into two days. On Friday, September 12, at the Museum of Natural History, two interdisciplinary panels of scientists will participate in scholarly sessions regarding the settlement of the Eurasian continent, the Pacific region, and the New World, and the latest evidence and perspectives of their diverse disciplines. Participating scientists include:

• Dr. Curtis Marean, Arizona State University
• Dr. Michael Petraglia, Oxford University
• Dr. John Shea, Stony Brook University
• Dr. Tom Higham, Oxford University
• Dr. Mark Stoneking, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
• Dr. Dan Dediu, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
• Dr. James O'Connell, University of Utah
• Dr. Tim Denham, Australian National University
• Dr. Ted Goebel, Texas A & M University
• Dr. Johanna Nichols, University of California, Berkley
• Dr. Ripan Malhi, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

The discussion will continue at the Lobero Theater on Saturday, September 13 as scientists present lectures to the public where they will put the latest discoveries into a broad perspective and provide insights into the nature of scientific work and discovery. Participating scientists during the public lectures include:

• Dr. Bernard Comrie, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
• Dr. Greger Larson, Durham University, UK
• Dr. Eske Willerslev, University of Copenhagen
• Dr. Terry Hunt, University of Oregon
• Dr. David Meltzer, Southern Methodist University
• Dr. Mike Waters, Texas A&M University
• Dr. John Johnson, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

For more information about the Santa Barbara Symposium on Human Origins: Dispersal of Early Humans, visit www.sbnature.org/sbsoho or call 805-682-4711 ext. 170. Tickets to the lectures, lunches and banquet are open to the general public and available online at www.sbnature.org/tickets.

About the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Founded in 1916, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History connects more than 150,000 people each year (including its 5,700 members) to nature indoors and outdoors. Uniquely nestled in nature, the Museum is located along Mission Creek in the Mission Canyon area.  The Museum has ten indoor exhibit halls focusing on regional natural history including astronomy, birds, insects, geology, mammals, marine life, paleontology, plant life, and the Chumash Indians. In addition, the Museum is home to the only full-dome planetarium on the Central Coast, a research library, and the John & Peggy Maximus Art Gallery. 

The Museum's outdoor exhibit experiences include a nature trail, the Chumash Sukinanik'oy Garden, The Museum Backyard & Nature Club House, the Butterfly Pavilion, and a real 74-foot Blue Whale skeleton. The Museum's outdoor nature experience continues down to the Pacific Ocean at its Sea Center located on the historic Stearns Wharf. The Sea Center offers nearly 90,000 visitors a window to ocean life in the Santa Barbara Channel through its interactive exhibits and close-up, hands-on encounters with sea creatures.

Beyond exhibitions, the Museum offers science education programs for adults and children, preserves a collection of more than three million specimens and artifacts, and maintains ongoing scientific research. The Museum's mission is to inspire a thirst for discovery and a passion for the natural world. For more information about the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, please visit www.sbnature.org.

Press Contact
Valeria Velasco
[email protected] 
805-682-4711 ext. 116

SOURCE Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History