The World 1 Million Years Ago to be Explored in Feb. 28 Talk at Cal Poly

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Henry Gilbert, assistant professor of anthropology at California State University East Bay, will explain the world as it was 1 million years ago in a talk from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, in the Spanos Theatre at Cal Poly.

One million years ago, the Homo genus was thriving in Africa and much of tropical and subtropical Eurasia. When the once robust Australopithecus lineage became extinct, Homo was the only prehuman genus left in the world. Africa was the epicenter of prehuman activity, and soon after the demise of the Australopithecus genus, African Homo erectus populations experienced dramatic increases in brain size, evolving into the common ancestor of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens.

In his talk, Gilbert will explore that prehuman world with special focus on the Daka Member, a site in Ethiopia renowned for an abundant and lengthy record of human ancestors. Several Homo erectus fossils, including a well-preserved cranium, and a diorama of the animals that roamed the area at the time will be on exhibit.

The talk is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by Cal Poly’s College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences Department, and the Forum at Cal Poly. For more information call 756-2752.

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