UA ALLELE Lecture Series Opens with Acclaimed Biological Anthropologist

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Dr. Melvin Konner, a world-renowned biological anthropologist, will present his lecture, “Childhood Evolving: The Role of Development in the Evolution of Mind,” Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in room 38 of Lloyd Hall on The University of Alabama campus.

Konner is an expert on how evolution, biology and culture shape child development and human nature. He is the Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor in the department of anthropology and the program in neuroscience and behavioral biology at Emory University.

His presentation is part of Alabama Lectures on Life’s Evolution, known as ALLELE and now in its fifth year. The ALLELE series is supported by UA’s College of Arts and Sciences and the departments of anthropology, biological sciences, geological sciences, philosophy and psychology.

The lectures are designed for a non-technical audience and are free and open to the public.

“Professor Konner has a knack for explaining complex things that people wonder about every day in ways non-scientists also can understand,” said Dr. Jason DeCaro, an assistant professor in UA’s department of anthropology, who is coordinating Konner’s visit. “Why do kids grow up and turn out the way they do? Konner explains that evolution is part of that picture, and he’ll help us understand a truly wondrous thing about childhood – the development of the mind.”

Konner is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, among other major professional recognitions. He earned a doctorate in biological anthropology from Harvard University and a medical degree from Harvard Medical School.

He has published 10 books for academic and general audiences, the most recent being “The Evolution of Childhood: Relationships, Emotion, Mind” which was released last spring.

Konner was among the first to recognize the importance of evolution to contemporary health, and he published “The Paleolithic Prescription: A Guide to Diet and Exercise and a Design for Living” with S. Boyd Eaton and Marjorie Shostak in 1988.

Konner has testified twice before the U.S. Senate on healthcare reform and end-of-life care. He has also appeared in two public television series and has written for publications such as Newsweek, The Sciences, The American Prospect and The New York Times Magazine.

The next speaker in the ALLELE lecture series is Dr. Hopi Hoekstra of Harvard University, who will speak on Dec. 2. For more information on the lecture series, click here.

The ALLELE lecture series is part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.