"The Evolution of Humans and Humanness" will be the topic of a presentation by Princeton University anthropology professor Alan E. Mann to 55PLUS.
The meeting will be held 10 a.m. Thursday, March 7, at the Jewish Center of Princeton, 435 Nassau St.
The talk will examine the questions of what makes us unique among the living things on the planet; how and under what circumstances did these features evolve; and did they appear all at once in a burst of biological and behavioral change, or are they the result of a very long developmental time?
These issues are also intimately connected with the origins of human population variation and the part they played in our eventual appearance. The archaeological and human fossil record will be described and the evidence evaluated for clues to the emergence of our species from the evolutionary past.
Dr. Mann is curator of the physical anthropology section of the museum of the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a consulting forensic anthropologist for the Office of the Medical Examiner of Philadelphia and Bucks counties and Camden County.
55PLUS was organized in 1986 as a non-sectarian group to promote social contacts and friendships among men who are either retired or who have flexible working hours. In addition to its meetings, it is engaged in a number of service projects, including assisting at the local Red Cross blood drives and on-air fund raising for The New Jersey National Public TV Channel 52. There is also a computer group to familiarize members with personal computers and the Internet, two investment groups and a mentoring group to work with Princeton school students.
