Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, 2018

My name is Charles J. Vella, PhD and I am a neuropsychologist and an amateur human evolution enthusiast. I received my PhD in Psychology at UC Berkeley and I worked at Kaiser Hospital, Dept. of Psychiatry for 35 years as Chief Psychologist and Director of the Neuropsychology Service. I am an expert in most brain related psychological topics and do public lectures in this area. 

Since my retirement in 2009, I have been an active docent at the California Academy of Science, specializing in the area of human evolution.

I am not an anthropologist, but I have become an amateur expert in the field of human evolution.  

In the last 10 years, I have read extensively on most of the topics in human evolution,, taken 8 online courses on this topic, and have taught a variety of docent classes in this area at the Academy. 

This course will  attempt to bring you up to date with all the major historical discoveries in human evolution research up to 1960. 

It will include both the incredible history of discoveries (Neandertal, Java Man, Zinj, Lucy); the major researchers (The Leakeys, Don Johanson, Tim White, Lee Berger), the controversies (did anthropologists work for the CIA), and many famous discovery stories (how playing football with elephant dung lead to discovery of Laetoli footprints). 

There will be a review all the major types of ancestral hominins discovered before 1960, including Sahelanthropus, the  Australopithicines, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and Homo heidelbergensis. 

Session 1: Human Evolution, The first 150 years of discovery

There will be an initial a biographical history of the major historical figures in paleoanthropology, covering Darwin & Russell, Dubois, Dart, the Piltdown Hoax, etc. up to 1960. 

We will review general evolution (Darwin’s theory, natural selection, G. Mendel, 4 forces of evolution, what a species is) and the paleoarcheology of human evolution (LCA, important terms and concepts, dating techniques, and how fossilization occurs). 

There will be a review the history of all the species discovered between 1820 to 1960.

 It will include the major types of ancestral hominins, including the Sahelanthropus, Orrorin, the Australopithicines, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and Homo heidelbergensis

Session 1: Human Evolution, The first 150 years of discovery: 

Week 1: A Historical Biographical Review of Paleoanthropology to 1960

Week 2: General Evolution (belief in evolution, creationism, processes, etc.)

Week 3: Basics of human evolution (dating techniques, fossilization, etc.)

Week 4: Basics of Human evolution II

Week 5: Early Hominins: Sahelanthropus, Orrorin, Ardipithecus, 

Week 6: The Australopithecines

Course objectives:  

1: To understand the nature of general and human evolution

2: To learn about the history of discoveries in human evolution

3: To review what is currently known about all of the major hominin species