Human Origins

Paul Curnow
University of South Australia

Thursday 2nd February 2023 at 7:45 

Mawson Lecture Theatre
 and FGC supper room
Department of Earth Sciences
North Terrace Campus

University of Adelaide


     What do we know about our origins? When do humans first appear in the evolution of life? What do fossil remains reveal about our ancestry? Since the 1950s, our understanding of our human origins has grown exponentially. In this talk, I will provide a basic overview of what we know today about the origin of humankind. I will take you on a journey through some of the earliest hominins; describe when our genus ‘Homo’ first appears; and talk about the first appearance of modern anatomical humans. 

     Paul Curnow [B.ED] is a teacher by training. He has been an astronomy lecturer at the Adelaide Planetarium for the past 30-years and a member of the Field Geology Club of South Australia since 1992. In 2002, he served as a southern sky specialist for visiting U.S. and British astronomers who were in Australia for the total solar eclipse. After three decades of research, he is regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on Australian Aboriginal night sky knowledge; and in 2004, he worked in conjunction with the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center Planetarium in Ohio, on the creation of a show that features Indigenous Australian stories of the night sky. Moreover, from 2018-2022, he has served as a consultant on Indigenous Astronomy for the Australian Space Agency. In addition, Paul runs several popular courses for the public that focus on the constellations, planetary astronomy, historical astronomy and ethnoastronomy, which primarily deals with how the night sky is seen by non-western cultures. He appeared as the keynote speaker at the inaugural 2010 Lake Tyrrell Star Party in Sea Lake, Victoria and in 2011 was a special guest speaker at the Carter Observatory in Wellington, New Zealand. Since 2012 Paul has taken the role of Lecturer for the ‘Astronomy & the Universe’ course (EDUC2066); and between 2019-2021 for ‘Science’ (EDUC 2030) for the School of Education at the University of South Australia. Moreover, since 2021 he has been a member of the Andy Thomas Space Foundation Education Advisory Committee. Paul appears regularly in the media and has authored over 50 articles on astronomy.

If the door to the Mawson Building is closed, ring the FGC doorbell to left of the door for admittance. Note that the doorbell will be removed at 8.00 pm in order not to interrupt the lecture.
Refreshments will be served in the tea room following the meeting.

Please be warned that there is no wheelchair access to the lecture theatre.

 

Cynthia Pyle will run a workshop before the February meeting. 
The topic for the October 6 workshop is 'The Earth's Crust: what is it made of?'. 

In this activity we will examine the properties of some minerals and rocks, and hence determine the relationship between minerals and rocks.

The workshop will start at 6.30 pm, but people are welcome to come in later, as everyone
works independently or with a friend.

The workshop will be held in the Sprigg Room. Go past the Tate Museum and take the next
staircase on the right. The Sprigg Room is right at the top of the stairs. 
Anyone who arrives after 6.30pm and can't get into the building can ring the FGC bell if it is in place.