First Fridays February 6, 2009

Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why it Matters with Dr. Don Prothero

In recent years, the topics of evolution, creationism and “intelligent design” have become more controversial than ever. Creationists make lot of false claims about the fossil record and the evidence from “transitional forms” that demonstrate the evolution of new groups of animals. In this lecture, Dr. Don Prothero, Professor of Geology at Occidental College and Lecturer in Geobiology at Caltech, looks at the evidence for evolution from the fossil record, the documentation of important “transitional fossils” discovered over the past 20 years, and the implications of evolution for science and society.

About Dr. Donald R. Prothero

Dr. Donald R. Prothero is Professor of Geology at Occidental College in Los Angeles, and Lecturer in Geobiology at the Caltech. He earned an M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in geological sciences from Columbia University in 1982, and a B.A. in geology and biology from the University of California, Riverside. He is currently the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of 25 books and over 200 scientific papers. He serves on the editorial board of Skeptic magazine; he is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, the Paleontological Society, and the Linnaean Society of London; and he has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

Tour of the Vertebrate Paleontology Collection with Dr. Lawrence Barnes

NHM Curator Dr. Lawrence Barnes leads a tour of some of the important fossils in the Vertebrate Paleontology collection.

Music

The jazz-influenced electro pop of The Bird and the Bee along with indie rockers Jukebox the Ghost will perform at February's First Fridays.

Curated by the non-profit radio collective dublab,  The Phatal DJ and DJ Michael Stock perform in the African Mammal Hall.

Series Overview

Darwin's Origin of Species: From a Theory of Evolution to a Cultural Revolution

This year Charles Darwin turns 200 and his world-altering On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection turns 150. Often considered one of the two or three most important – and misunderstood – texts published in the sciences, The Origin of Species is also one of a handful of scientific works that has reverberated beyond science, shaking the foundations of art, literature, philosophy, religion and society. This season's First Fridays celebrate “Darwin Year” through entertaining and fascinating conversations with six of the world's foremost authors and experts on the life of Darwin, the science of evolution, and the revolutionary impact of the man and his work.