Science Cafe: “The Last of the Genus Homo”

Speaker: Dr Larry Wood on “The Last of the Genus Homo”

Our species, Homo sapiens, appeared in S. Africa approximately 200,000 years ago. About 40,000 years ago we arrived at the southern shore of France, where we were met by a distant relative, Homo Erectus, who left Africa ca 600,000 years ago, and a closer relative, H. Neanderthal, who had arrived about 200,000 years before us.

Between 2,000 and 4,000 years after our arrival, Erectus and Neanderthal were extinct. We were The Last of the Genus Homo! What happened? Why are we the last?

What is science café? Science Café of Olympia meets each month on the second Tuesday. It provides an informal atmosphere where people with and without scientific background can meet to deepen their understanding of interesting topics in science and technology. After a presentation by an expert in the field, the meetings are opened for discussion.