UQ plays host to human evolution expert

The University of Queensland will mark National Archaeology Week (May 15-21) with a public lecture by one of the world’s experts on human evolution.

Professor Francis Thackeray will shed new light on fossils representing distant relatives of human kind at UQ’s annual Hall Lecture on Friday, May 18.

Professor Thackeray is the Director of the Institute for Human Evolution at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

The public lecture — now in its sixth year — honours Emeritus Associate Professor Jay Hall who established the archaeology program at UQ in the 1970s.

Lecture organiser, Professor Marshall Weisler, of UQ’s School of Social Science, said Professor Thackeray was a leading expert on palaeoanthropological explorations in Africa.

“New fossil discoveries are constantly shedding additional light on the human family tree, deepening our understanding of the African origins of our species,” Professor Weisler said.

“This work began with Professor Raymond Dart, originally from our very own Toowong (Queensland) and continues today with Professor Thackeray.”

Professor Thackeray will discuss early human fossils found in South Africa over the past 75 years and provide new interpretations of our early ancestors including Australopithecus, Paranthropus and the Homo genus.

The Hall Lecture is a free event and all are welcome.

It will be held in the Abel Smith Lecture Theatre (#23), Campbell Road at UQ’s St Lucia campus, 4pm (for a 4.30pm start) on Friday, May 18.

A wine reception will follow and attendees must RSVP for catering purposes to Melanie Arumugam at m.arumugam@uq.edu.au or (07) 3365 3236 by Tuesday, May 15.

For more information on other events happening during National Archaeology Week visit www.archaeologyweek.com

Media: Professor Marshall Weisler - (07) 3365 3038 m.weisler@uq.edu.au