Please note: both seminars this week will be in the Knight Conference Room,
E19-623, at 4:30pm!
Tuesday, March 13
Climate Change: The Solid... And the Surprises?
Richard Alley VIA SKYPE, Penn State.
Richard is interested in the broad role of ice in the climate system, as a
recorder of climate change, driver of climate and sea-level change, and
modifier of landscapes. He participates in measurement of ice-core physical
properties to learn about ice-sheet flow and climate history, and he does a
little simple modeling, theory, and occasional field work to address the other
questions.
Please note: this seminar begins at 4:30pm
Thursday, March 15
Genetic evidence for interbreeding between archaic and modern humans
David Reich, Genetecist and Professor at Harvard Medical School.
The Reich laboratory studies population mixture as a foundation for medical,
evolutionary and population genetics. Human population history is often
explained as a series of “splits”: the divergence of human and chimpanzee
ancestors 5-7 million years ago, the spread of modern humans into Eurasia
40,000-100,000 years ago, and the spread into the Americas by at least 15,000
years ago.
However, population mixture has also played a key role in human history.
Examples include the origin of African Americans and Latinos, who arose from
mixture associated with the slave trade and migrations in the last few hundred
years, and the origin of South Asians, who likely descend from mixture of an
European-like and ancient Asian population 3,500-8,500 years ago. Looking
further back, population mixture may even have occurred during the speciation
of humans and chimpanzees, with our ancestors first splitting, then coming
together before finally separating. Dr. Reich's group develops novel
statistical methods for analyzing data, and shows that these methods work in
practice by testing them on data they collect in their lab. They have applied
these ideas not only to learn about history, but also to identify risk factors
for prostate cancer and multiple sclerosis in a recently mixed population:
African Americans.
Please note: this seminar begins at 4:30pm
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