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 related to the evolution of Homo up to 2021. 

It will include both the incredible history of discoveries (Peking Man, Neandertal, Denisovans, H. floresiensis, H. naledi); the major researchers (The Leakeys, Don Johanson, Tim White, Lee Berger).

There will be a review all the major types of ancestral hominins in the Homo clade, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, etc.

Class 1  and 2 will be a brief review of pre-Homo hominin evolution

Class 3 will be al biographical history of the major historical figures in paleoanthropology, from 1960 to 2021. 

There will be a review of all the species belonging to Homo discovered between 1820 to 2021.

Ongoing Monthly Sessions:

• 1: Feb 27, 2019 - Review of Pre-Homo evolution
• 2: Mar 27 - Review of Pre-Homo evolution 2
• 3: Apr 24 - A Historical Biographical Review of Paleoanthropology from 1960 to present
• 4: May 22 - Homo habilis
• 5: Jun 26 - Homo habilis  2
• 6: Jul 24 - Homo erectus 1
• 7: Aug 28 - Homo erectus 2
• 8: Sep 25-  Recent  studies
• 9: Oct 23 - Homo heidelbergensis, Part I
• Nov 20 - No Class
• Dec 18 - No Class
• 10: Jan 22, 2020 - Homo heidelbergensis, Part II
• 11: Feb 26 - Homo neanderthalensis, Part I
• 12: Mar 25 -  No class
• 13: Apr 22 - Homo neanderthalensis, Part II: Morphology
• 14: May 27 -  Homo neanderthalensis, Part III: Debate over Neandertal Abilities
• 15: Jun 24 -  Homo neanderthalensis, Part IV: Neandertal Abilities 2
• 16: Jul 22 -  Homo neanderthalensis, Part V: Neandertal Healthcare and Demise
• 17: Sep 23 - Denisovans, Pt 1: Studies from 2008 to 2013
• 18: Oct 21 - Denisovans, Pt 2: Studies from 2013 to 2020  (Note date change; I start carving pumpkins on Oct 28; so switch to 3rd Wed;  same for Thanksgiving)
• 19: Nov 18 - Homo floresiensis and Homo luzonensis
• 20: Dec 16 - Homo naledi Pt 1 (1 week before Xmas)
• 21: Jan - Homo naledi Pt 2
  
• 22 - Feb 24 -  Homo sapiens, Pt. 1
  
• 23 - Mar 24 -  Homo sapiens, Pt. 2
  
• 24 - Apr 21 -   Homo sapiens, Pt. 3 
• 25 - May 26 -  Paleogenetics, Pt. 1
• 26 - June 23 -  Paleogenetics, Pt.2
• 27 - July 28 -  Paleogenetics, Pt. 3
• 28 - August 25 - Evolution of the Brain
•  29 - September 2 -Evolutionary Psychology