A sceptic's guide to human evolution (Professor Bernard Wood, George Washington University)
1:00pm - 2:00pm /
Thursday 7th January 2021
Type: Webinar /
Category: Department
- Lucy Timbrell
- Admission: Free. Register via Eventbrite.
Add this event to my calendar
Click on "Create a calendar file" and your browser will download a .ics file for this event.
Microsoft Outlook: Download the file, double-click it to open it in Outlook, then click on "Save & Close" to save it to your calendar. If that doesn't work go into Outlook, click on the File tab, then on Open & Export, then Open Calendar. Select your .ics file then click on "Save & Close".
Google Calendar: download the file, then go into your calendar. On the left where it says "Other calendars" click on the arrow icon and then click on Import calendar. Click on Browse and select the .ics file, then click on Import.
Apple Calendar: The file may open automatically with an option to save it to your calendar. If not, download the file, then you can either drag it to Calendar or import the file by going to File >Import > Import and choosing the .ics file.
This webinar will offer some suggestions to help future generations of researchers improve our understanding of human evolution. Firstly, approach data with caution, as not all data are relevant, reliable, accurate or useful. Secondly, work out better ways of recognising hominin taxa. Thirdly, not all of the taxa recognised in the hominin fossil record are likely to be human ancestors, so we need better ways of distinguishing ancestors from non-ancestral close relatives. Fourthly, avoid giving comprehensive answers to temptingly interesting questions (e.g., ‘why’ and ‘where’ innovations took place) when we know we only have part, likely a small part, of the evidence. Lastly, resist the temptation to give the impression we know more than we do. Bernard Wood’s presentation will illustrate this advice with personal examples of failing to heed it.