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29th Annual Connell Lecture Held Jan. 24

VALDOSTA -- The Department of Biology will host the 29th Annual Connell Lecture at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 24, in Whitehead Auditorium.

Held in honor of the late Dr. C. Eugene Connell, this year鈥檚 event will feature Dr. Trenton W. Holliday, associate professor of anthropology at Tulane University, who is a highly regarded expert in the field of paleoanthropology and human evolution.

Holliday鈥檚 presentation titled 鈥淣eandertals and Modern Human: Reticulation and Evolution鈥� will focus on his investigation of the potential for interbreeding and hybridization between hominin species (those animals more closely related to people than to chimpanzees). Such hybridization has recently been genetically documented for two closely related hominin species (Homo neanderthalensis and H. sapiens) and likely occurred among other hominin species as well.

Holliday鈥檚 research has important implications on the understanding of the origins of modern humans, as well as all human evolution.

鈥淲hile we are often focused on our recent history going back 10,000 years or more, it is also critical to understand out Paleolithic history, in that the early development of European culture and the biology of human species are based on our distant past as well as our recent past,鈥� said Dr. David Bechler, 麻豆视频 professor of Biology. 鈥淭his is especially true when one looks at the interface of Cro-Magnon as they moved out of Africa and into what is now Europe and western Asia. Dr. Holliday鈥檚 presentation will provide critical insight into this aspect of our history.鈥�

For more information, call the 麻豆视频 Department of Biology at 229-333-5759. The Connell Lecture is open to the public and is free of charge.