UA Evolution Lectureship Series Continues with Psychologist William Hopkins

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The second in a series of public lectures on evolution will continue at The University of Alabama with psychologist William Hopkins. Hopkins will speak on “Evolution of Hemispheric Specialization and Language: Recent Findings from Chimpanzees” Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in 127 Biology Building Auditorium on the UA campus.

Hopkins will speak about the evolution of the primate brain with some insights about how human brains operate. He is an associate professor of psychology at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, Ga., and he also holds the appointment of research scientist within the division of psychobiology at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University.

His research interests are primarily in the evolution of language and speech and how it relates to changes in the organization of the central nervous systems of primates. Of specific interest have been his studies on the evolution of hemispheric specialization (left brain, right brain functions) and language.

For many years, neuropsychologists, linguists and anthropologists have argued that hemispheric specialization is unique to human evolution based on the numerous studies demonstrating that the left half of the brain is dominant for language functions, particularly among right-handed individuals. Hopkins’ work has focused on assessing this assumption by studying whether our closest living relative, the chimpanzee, exhibits evidence of specialization in anatomy or behavior.

Some of these theories have been tested by assessing handedness as well as measures of brain asymmetries using magnetic resonance imaging, known as MRI, in chimpanzees and other great apes, including gorillas and orangutans. Hopkins’ work on hemispheric specialization in the other great apes has implications for developed language and speech in humans. The department of psychology is sponsoring his lecture.

The Alabama Lectures on Life’s Evolution, or ALLELE, is a series of lectures and will continue with lectures on

• Nov. 2: Dr. Barbara Forrest, professor of philosophy in the department of history and political science at Southeastern Louisiana University, will speak about the political and legal strategies of the Intelligent Design movement.

• Feb. 22: Yousif Shamoo, associate professor of biochemistry and cell biology at Rice University, will speak on the molecular basis of evolution.

• March 22: Douglas Crews, professor in the department of anthropology and the school of public health at Ohio State University, will speak about the evolutionarily unusual nature of human longevity and aging.

• April 19: Philip Gingerich, professor of geological sciences and curator of the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan, will speak about the phylogeny and origin of whales, including the discovery and description of the earliest known whale.

The ALLELE series is funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation and by UA’s College of Arts and Sciences and College of Education. The lectures are designed for a non-technical audience and are free and open to the public.